


Compulsion

by candygramme, spoonlessone (mistress_mary)



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Case Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-05-29 01:36:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 28,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15062201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/candygramme/pseuds/candygramme, https://archiveofourown.org/users/mistress_mary/pseuds/spoonlessone
Summary: Special Agent Jensen Ackles is up to his neck in trouble, and he isn't sure if the rookie agent that the Powers That Be have saddled him with is going to help him or just make things worse.  It's not that the kid isn't eager to please, it's just that he's totally clueless about what he's up against.  It doesn't help that Ackles isn't quite sure either!  Fortunately, or maybe not, he has a couple of other allies, including a brainwashed pathologist, a weed smoking techie, and a truly innovative medic from Walter Reed.  That ought to be enough to save the world as long as the ghosts keep away.





	Compulsion

  
NOVEMBER, 2016

Bellingham, Washington

  
The scream drilled into Jensen's brain, bringing home to him just how badly he'd fucked up. He writhed against the steel grip that held him so tightly. The coarse sacking over his head prevented him from seeing where he was, where they'd taken him. It stank.   
  
"Alona?" His voice was hoarse, but he thought he had heard her answer, then there was nothing further.   
  
"Your turn." The speaker was a man, deep voice booming in what sounded like a large space. Jensen did his best to pull himself free from whoever it was holding him, but found himself inexorably marched forward until suddenly the sack was ripped from his head, and he blinked, dazzled after spending so long in darkness.   
  
Once his eyes stopped watering, he could see Alona lying crumpled on the concrete floor. There was a presence in front of him, dark, confusing. Raising his eyes, he saw a black male, handsome, white teeth dazzling as smiled. Then terror flashed through him as the creature allowed fangs to drop.   
  
"You... you're a..."   
  
"Vampire, yes." The voice was melodious. "Don't worry. I'm not going to kill you, Agent. Not just yet, anyway. In fact, not for quite a while. You and your associate there on the floor are going to be useful to me, very useful indeed."   
  
The vampire's perfectly manicured hand rose to cup Jensen's cheek and tilt his head just so, and then he leant forward. "Listen to me..."   
  
Odd. Jensen hadn't registered how yellow the creature's pupils were. They held him as the vampire kept on speaking. He couldn't concentrate on what the message was, only knew that it was important, desperately so.   
  
After a while, Jensen slept.  
  
"....Jensen. JENSEN." Alona was shouting for him. Alona! His partner’s voice triggered his panic and he woke suddenly to see her crouching beside him.   
  
"What? Where are we?"   
  
Why did his head feel so fuzzy? What was wrong with him? Looking around himself he could see that they were in a large, empty building, one that looked in the final stages of disrepair, the corrugated iron roof rusty and hanging loose in some places.   
  
"I... I can't remember anything. Why can't I remember?" Alona scrambled to her feet, brushing down her jeans, which were covered with debris from the filthy floor.   
  
Jensen nodded and sat up, groaning at his stiff limbs. He felt as if he'd been lying there for days, and his knees popped as he managed to roll over and stand up himself. "I don't know," he muttered. "Not sure what the hell is going on, but I think we need to get out of here."   
  
The two of them stumbled out together into the bright sunshine of a spring morning, and Jensen breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his rental standing on the road a few feet away from the ramshackle barn.   
  
"Come on. Let's go. Dunno about you, but I'm starving."   
  
Alona nodded, and the two of them clambered into the vehicle and drove away, leaving the place without any further comment.

  


NOW

Washington, DC

  
“Tell me again why Special Agent Ackles needs a baby sitter.”   
  
The man who was speaking stood at ease before FBI Assistant Director Morgan, every bone in his body betraying that he was ex-military. Tall and broad shouldered, he exuded an air of competence that seemed to promise that anything he undertook would be successful. Morgan nodded as he took in the young giant in front of him.   
  
“He was the best profiler we ever had. Started after going through Quantico with our Violent Criminal Apprehension Program, and then transferred over to the Behavioral Analysis Unit. He actually headed up the BAU for three years.” Morgan leaned forward and waved him towards a chair. “You may as well take a seat, Padalecki. I need you to know what you’re getting yourself into.”   
  
”Go on.” Jared hitched a chair over to one side of Morgan’s desk and turned it so he was straddling it, his arms loosely draped over the chair-back. “Pretty much anything you can tell me will help.”   
  
“Yes. Exactly so.” Morgan cleared his throat as he fumbled through a thick dossier that lay on his desk. “About 18 months ago he and his partner were sent out to gather evidence. They'd been sent with the unit on a case up in Washington State in Bellingham. Once it was over, and he’d filed his report, he tendered his resignation from the BAU and said he was opening a new department to look into an item of extreme national importance. I still don’t know how he convinced the Director that it was a good idea, and so far, there’s been very little coming out of his new department. I believe that somehow he’s been manipulated — brainwashed if you like — and that someone is controlling him.”   
  
“What makes you think that?” Jared looked sleepy, but it was obvious that he was listening. “What was in the report to make you sit up and take notice?”   
  
At Padalecki’s quizzically raised brow, Morgan tossed over a manila folder and sat back with folded arms, waiting for any comments as he observed the soldier’s expression with great interest. Bending to pick up the folder, Padalecki shuffled through the contents. “Vampires?” he asked at last. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”   
  
“You’d think, wouldn’t you?” Morgan smirked. “And that isn’t the weirdest report he’s sent in lately. I need someone to submit independent reports on Ackles’s activities — someone I can trust — and that’s apparently you. Colonel Beaver said that you’re his best operative and just what I need. Hopefully he’s right.”   
  
“Colonel Beaver is always right, sir,” asserted Padalecki with a grin. “It’s his job.”   
  
“Good to hear.” Morgan nodded and gestured at Padalecki’s fatigues. “He was a good agent — the best — but I’m concerned.” Morgan leaned forward as he spoke, beseeching his companion to believe him. “I’ll be honest with you. We think he’s been compromised in some way. Before he returned from that case, Special Agent Ackles was leading a very sensitive investigation that was — and still is — crucial to the security of the United States. He was beginning to show some progress when he suddenly announced that he’d discovered a nest of vampires and took himself off on some kind of idiotic ‘hunting’ sabbatical or at least that’s what he called it. Since he came back, he seems disinclined to continue his previous lines of inquiry. The agent we had working with him appears to have PTSD. She's got holes in her memory. She transferred out at her own request, and she thinks he’s nuts. Our only problem is that his most recent psych. eval. doesn’t indicate that he’s flipped his cogs, so I’m killing two birds with one stone placing you with him. Beaver attests to your suitability for the job, and we want someone who can not only evaluate his sanity over time, but who can protect him if further attempts to compromise him or extract him should occur.   
  
“So, while you’re seconded from MARSOC, I’d be grateful if you can, uh, ‘blend in’ a little. No need to advertise the fact that you’re not from ‘round here.” He handed over the dossier he’d been fidgeting with. “He’s a loose cannon, Padalecki. There are questions being asked at higher levels. We need someone working with him that can rein him in, protect him if he needs it and hopefully get him back into his right mind.” Morgan frowned. “His recent behavior continues to be less than optimal, and we need to know why. We want to know exactly what he’s doing. His reports are frankly ludicrous. I want you to read, learn and inwardly digest this dossier. It’s got all the details of your assignment in it, along with everything you need to know about Agent Ackles. He’s expecting you first thing tomorrow, so I hope you’re a quick study.”   
  
Morgan waved him away, and Padalecki took the dossier, rose smartly to his feet and came to attention. He then did a sharp left turn and left the office. Morgan watched him go with a thoughtful frown on his face as he pondered the wisdom of Beaver’s choice.

  


  
.  
  
.  


“So you’ve got the assignment? What do you think?” Colonel Beaver’s voice invited his confidence, and Jared Padalecki — lounging in the armchair which was the single piece of furniture in his newly rented living room — frowned as he tried to divine Beaver’s interest in the case. It really wasn’t his usual behavior, and bells were ringing at the back of Jared’s mind as he pondered the question. Finally, he decided that he’d go with the vibe that AD Morgan had given him, at least for now.   
  
“To be honest, I think the guy’s a flake. Let’s face it, he thinks there are vampires out there.” He reached for the half finished bottle of Shiner Bock that stood beside his feet. “But I’ll go meet him tomorrow and see if what I think takes a change for the better.” He took a swig straight from the bottle and sighed in satisfaction.   
  
“Do that, son. There are things about this guy that are making people jumpy, and we’re relying on you to ensure that he stays honest.”   
  
The line cut out suddenly, and Jared tossed the phone down onto the floor. _Typical Beaver,_ he thought. _No social skills whatsoever._ He finished his beer and settled down to read the dossier through again for the seventh time. Special Agent Jensen Ross Ackles didn’t seem to be more than a harmless looney, but it might be fun to become a babysitter for a while. It sure beat the excitement of lying full length in dirt for hours on end, waiting for the thrill of shooting some hapless politician dead and hoping that nobody was thinking about doing the same to him.   
  
Needing to blow off some steam to quell the butterflies that were beginning to make themselves noticeable, he kicked off his boots and went to bring out his beloved swords, a katana and a wakizashi, then began a formal _Kenjutsu_ training ritual that was both graceful and intricate. As usual, the familiar _kata_ focused his thoughts and settled his nerves. 

  


  
.  
  
.  


The following morning Jared strode down into the dark corridor where Ackles’s office was located. He was dressed in the closest thing to a suit he possessed, wondering if they’d make him cut his hair to conform with the rules and feeling naked without his trusty M27 — although he was well aware how odd it would be for a “supposed” federal agent to be toting around an automatic.   
  
When it finally came to the point, and he was face to face with the man he'd been sent to spy on, Jared suddenly got cold feet. He had never been more nervous. Theoretically, he supposed, Ackles wasn’t ever supposed to guess why he was there, although nobody had actually stated that directly. Still, he figured from the collected psychological reports he’d read through that his best chance of deflecting suspicion and gaining the man’s confidence hinged on whether he could carry off a 'young and fresh' act for him.   
  
He'd read all that there was to read about Jensen Ackles. He could have passed tests on the man's history. If you asked him what Ackles liked to eat (burgers!), or the team that he supported (Cowboys!), or what his taste in music was (usually country crap, but apparently he was currently into Kaleo lately! WTF? They somehow didn’t fit the profile at all.), he would have been able to tell you right away. There wouldn't have been any stumbling. He was well prepared, and yet...   
  
Special Agent Jensen Ross Ackles was nobody’s fool, it seemed. He was an expert profiler, had been a child prodigy who had gotten his doctorate in clinical psychology by the age of 22, and —for the icing on the cake — he apparently had an eidetic memory. The chances of Jared putting one over him seemed increasingly slim. Still, he’d do what he could, and if Ackles laughed at him, perhaps Jared would shoot him and put himself, the FBI and the whole goddamn army out of their misery.   
  
When he finally came face to face with the prissy, grouchy, unshaven, supercilious Ackles, his mouth went dry for some reason that totally baffled him, and he dry-swallowed, hyperventilated, and practically creamed himself.   
  
He held out his hand in his perky, pseudo-enthralled greeting, but the asshole disdained it, and he felt a flash of irritation, followed by a positive torrent of something that made his breathing speed up, his heart race and his pulse stutter.   
  
Lust. He felt lust.   
  
He looked on those lips, and bit the inside of his cheek in an effort to stop himself grabbing the jerk by his silken lapels and hauling him up out of his chair so that he could maul those lips with his own. So much for ‘Don’t ask; don’t tell.’   
  
_I won't get caught by him,_ he thought. _I can stay back from this even if it kills me. Self restraint is good for me. The files don't give much information on his sexual behavior, but look at him. He's gorgeous. He must be getting it from somewhere; he's far too pretty to be celibate. Oh, God, look at him!_   
  
When Ackles rose to his feet to dismiss him, sneering something witty and cutting about Jared’s ‘lack of sartorial elegance,' he began to get angry allover again. The tedious bastard thought he could ride roughshod over JaredPadalecki. He would show him. He'd been given a job to do, and he'd do it without question, no matter that he was beginning to have reservations about his ability to capture and hold Ackles's attention. He’d been given a case that was calculated to attract Ackles’s attention to use as a hook, so it was his duty to get it done, whether or not Ackles took the bait.   
  
"You're not particularly sartorially elegant yourself," he sniped. "But let's get professional for a moment. I’ve been working on a case that looks like it might be..." He finally achieved eye contact with the agent, and once again he felt his resolve waver. The eyes were green-gold, shrewd and finely drawn, his thick lashes giving the man a young, innocent look that belied the sensual mouth. Jared found himself wanting to trace those lids with his tongue. He had a brief and unholy vision of that face sweating in passion beneath his own and ground his teeth in an effort to stop himself from achieving an erection the size of an Exocet missile.   
  
Ackles smirked. “A case? Do tell,” he said, waving Jared to a seat that was stacked with manila folders. “And here was I, thinking you were just the Vanna White to my Pat Sajak.” Jared gathered the paperwork up and set it down on the floor before opening his own folder and starting to show his mark the information it contained. Ackles looked mildly interested, nodding along as Jared showed and told.   
  
_Hang in there, Jared, don't weaken. He's giving in. I'm going to make it. Oh, yeah!_   
  
There would be time to let his mind run over the assorted charms of the man standing before him, bedraggled and unshaven despite his expensive suit, once they were on the road, but for now it was enough that he seemed to be accepting a new partner.   
  
He'd been told that it was unlikely that he'd be accepted by Jensen Ackles as anything but a transient information gatherer, and he, Jared Padalecki, Chief Security Officer, on loan from United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command and cocky as anything, had laughed. He hadn't been able to wrap himself around the concept of failure. It seemed almost impossible that anyone would reject him. He'd experienced very few rejections in his past, and knew just how to charm his way into a heart, a bed, or a wallet or how to take out a target from quarter of a mile away. Now, he was convinced that he could charm his way into Ackles’s heart without further problems.   
  
After what seemed like an interminable question and answer session that appeared as if the special agent was testing his knowledge of procedure, Ackles sent him off to book out a car, and Jared sauntered down to the carpool to check out a vehicle.   
  
Ten minutes later, abandoned like a spare prick at a wedding, he found himself muttering some extremely unpleasant words, some of which dealt with Jensen Ackles's parentage and the rest with his personal habits. His language was bad enough to curl the paint from the woodwork.   
  
Sighing, the young detective-nouveau settled down in his newly booked car to figure out where he'd gone wrong, and where Jensen Ackles might have taken himself. He was furious with himself. He'd been too damned confident of his own charm, and was bitterly regretting it. He definitely wouldn't fall into that trap again. He began to try and identify where his quarry would be headed. It didn't take him long before the proverbial light bulb went on. Of course! The case he’d brought for Ackles had been pretty straightforward, and if Ackles was intending to work it instead of zipping off to look for vampires or possibly zombies, Jared knew just where he’d have gone. Blonde coeds had been disappearing without trace from their locked dorm rooms. Most likely Ackles would have gone to the dormitory first, to take a look at ground zero.   
  
Starting the car, he turned it and set off to drive to the place he'd figured out that Ackles would go first in the pursuit of his inquiries. From here on in, once he'd met up with Jensen Ackles again, he'd stick to him like shit to a blanket, and it would be a pleasure to watch the steam come out of his ears.

  


  
.  
  
.  


Jared drove out of the city as fast as he dared. Getting a speeding ticket was not on his agenda for the day, but he had to reach his destination before Ackles went elsewhere, and he lost him completely. He couldn’t be too far behind,unless Ackles had some secret way to avoid DC traffic. At least hedidn’t have to deal with the Beltwayto get to College Park, but I-295 had its own challenges.   
  
Once out on the freeway, he set his speed until the needle was hovering a few miles over the limit, and prayed, hard, that the highway patrol had better things to do today.   
  
Just before reaching College Park, he stopped at a strip mall and filled up with gas. In the shop attached to the gas station, he bought some sandwiches and a bottle of water, pausing only to get detailed directions on how to find the campus and specifically the student residences. Fortunately, they weren't too far away from where he'd stopped, and he was soon pulling up behind a cab that was parked not far away from the main entrance.   
  
Going up to the cab, he showed his badge to the driver and asked, "Are you waiting for Agent Ackles?" When the driver shrugged, nodded, and muttered something about FBI, Jared looked at the meter, pulled out his wallet and went on, "I've been sent to collect him, here's what's on the meter and a little over for waiting."   
  
He thrust a pile of dollar bills at the man, who shut the meter off, counted the money and then went on his way without saying another word.   
  
Padalecki looked over at the glass doors and contemplated going inside in search of that annoyingly brilliant, gorgeous looking... asshole... to confront him, and let him know just what he thought about the dirty trick he'd played.   
  
He took a deep breath, and mentally shook himself. A confrontation in front of strangers was the last thing that would endear him to the senior agent. Then a growl from his stomach reminded him that he still hadn't eaten since breakfast, and that he'd feel better able to keep his temper if he were to eat before Ackles emerged from the center.   
  
He made sure his tie and lap were well covered with napkins before attempting to bite into the squashy sandwiches. Even though he did have a change of clothes with him, he just didn't _need_ any more hassles today.

  


  
.  
  
.  


Jared watched as Agent Ackles left the dorm to find his taxi. He was so lost in thought that he'd already reached the curb before he realized that the cab hadn't waited for him.   
  
"Fuck!" he yelled, and Jared smothered a smile as he heard the expletive.   
  
_Showtime,_ he thought, pushing open the door of his car and climbing out onto the sidewalk.   
  
As Jared rose to his feet, he saw Ackles put his hand into his pocket and guessed he was about to pull out his phone to call another cab. He slammed his door viciously, and saw the man look up, his attention drawn along the street toward the sound. When he caught sight of Jared stalking towards him, Jared could see a whole range of emotions travel over the man’s handsome face. It seemed that he wasn't sure whether to feel irritated or pleased that he’d been found. It certainly seemed from his final expression that he wasn’t particularly happy about being called on his behavior.   
  
"Oh, no! Was Prince Charming abandoned by his date?" Jared asked, suppressing the vicious smirk that threatened to break through his poker face. "Hey, I can sympathize. Oddly enough, I experienced exactly the same thing just this morning." He stopped and swallowed hard, he really hadn't meant to say that at all. He took a deep breath trying to reign in his temper, not to mention his libido, before anything else uncensored got past his lips.   
  
"Sorry if I hurt your feelings," Ackles replied, starting to walk towards the car, not sounding sorry at all, which raised Padalecki's ire again.   
  
"Where do you get off copping that attitude? It's not like you know anything about me." Jared kept pace with him easily, apparently much to Agent Ackles's irritation.   
  
"Exactly." Ackles sounded as if that should explain everything.   
  
Padalecki stopped walking abruptly, and Ackles turned back. Gazing at Jared with an attitude of mild interest, Ackles pursed his sinful lips and stood with his head cocked, apparently entranced. Jared, not realizing the cause of the Agent's distraction, went on. "You know, since I first set foot in the Hoover Building, I've heard nothing but ridicule and tall tales about you and your obsession..."   
  
"Oh, stop it, or you're going to hurt my feelings." Ackles's sudden eye roll was evidence that he was rather less than heartbroken by Jared's words.   
  
Padalecki realized that was sarcasm, but he was too annoyed to stop. He had one chance to convince Ackles of his sincerity. "But up until now, I thought you might be on the level. I was inclined to believe in what you were doing, because I know that there's more out there than just overactive imagination, Bram Stoker and Friday 13th."   
  
There was a pause. Ackles stopped short and, for a moment, his eyes widened, then he frowned, apparently thinking hard. Then, without further words he wheeled around and began to make his way back into the building without any further words.   
  
To Jared, it seemed as if what he’d said might be getting through to the other man. Ackles beckoned him to follow as he reached the door, then turned to go back inside. Jared followed him wordlessly; walking close behind to make sure he didn’t miss anything or lose sight of the man.   
  
“In here.”   
  
As they reached the second floor, Ackles veered into a room that had yellow incident tape hanging from the frame. He’d taken a small object from his pocket, and Jared squinted as he tried to identify it. To him it looked like someone’s old Walkman. “What the hell is that?” he asked after a minute or so of failing to understand what the special agent was trying to do.   
  
“Shhh! It’s an EMF meter,” was the response as the gizmo suddenly emitted an ear piercing shriek.   
  
“It looks like a Walkman that someone’s been messing with.” Jared held out his hand for the small device, but Ackles turned away from him, pointing the thing at a wall vent near the floor in a corner and as he did so, the ear-splitting screech drew louder.   
  
“That’s exactly what it is,” said Ackles, waving Jared to the wall vent. “Check in there for me.”   
  
Crouching didn’t really help. After a few seconds, Jared shrugged his shoulders and dropped to his knees to peer into the space beyond the grid. There was something there. It was hard to see what at first, but as he pointed his flashlight into the darkness it became obvious that what he was looking at was a clump of blonde hair. “Oh.”   
  
“Yeah.” Ackles smirked. “What’s the betting that the other rooms where girls have gone missing will have something similar?”   
  
“So what does your meter thing do?” Jared reached for it, and this time Agent Ackles handed it over.   
  
“It measures paranormal activity. You must have noticed the sound? That’s how I know where to look.”   
  
Jared handed it back with a little more marked respect. “How come it’s made out of a Walkman?”   
  
“That just happened to be what I had to work with. The paranormal tends to generate electro-magnetic frequencies that are outside of the normal.” Ackles beamed, pride oozing from him as he took his gizmo back. “All I did was tweak it a little and saved the Bureau $30.”   
  
“Very commendable.” Jared grinned. “what next?”   
  
“Next,” said Ackles, “I think we need a blonde. Fortunately, I know a blonde.” Jared merely gaped at him. There wasn’t much else he could do.

  


  
.  
  
.  


Jensen Ackles felt torn. Half of him was livid that this gigantic upstart had outsmarted him and invited himself along on the case — even though it actually had originally been Padalecki’s — while the other half felt a certain unwilling pride that the man had outsmarted him and succeeded in tagging along. He supposed that there was no harm in including him in the proceedings, especially since the kid seemed to be genuinely interested in how he operated.   
  
As they made their way back down to the car, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number he still knew by heart.   
  
"Tal, it's me. I need help with something."   
  
Tossing a furtive glance in Padalecki's direction, Jensen turned his back on him and leaned into the car door in order to speak privately to the woman who had until recently been his partner. He listened impatiently as she went through all the pleasantries, wishing she would just stop yammering and agree that she'd help instead of insisting on a blow by blow account of what she would be helping with. Well, perhaps 'insisting' was a little strong, but it was clear she felt that the account of how she could help was something that needed to be relayed in person, and Jensen sighed as he bowed to the inevitable.   
  
"I can be there in an hour and a half.   
  
Disconnecting, he reached for the door handle, managing three swift pulls before a set of keys was unceremoniously jangled in front of his face.   
  
"Where we going now?"   
  
Apparently, Jared was not going to be fooled twice.

  


  
.  
  
.  


Ackles was frowning, and looked up to catch Jared's barely concealed amusement at having caught him off guard. Jared watched as Jensen’s shoulders slumped. He appeared to be resigned, muttering under his breath as he made his way around the car to the passenger side, glaring at his new sidekick across the roof. Jared made him wait until he had climbed in behind the wheel before he opened the door to the passenger’s side. Jensen glared as he climbed into the passenger’s side and sat glowering. Jared flashed a brilliant smile in return, smacking the wheel with unbridled joy at his unexpected advantage. Even though he'd sent the cabbie on his way, there had always been the possibility Ackles would simply call another. But with Tal awaiting his arrival, the grouch had no choice but to entertain Jared's company for the length of their drive back to Virginia.   
  
Pulling out onto the road, Jared did a little silent counting himself in an attempt to get his libido under control as he watched Ackles fasten his seat belt and straighten his jacket under the wide straps. He needed to concentrate on winning this man's trust — not fantasizing about how many ways he could pull and twist that bottom lip Ackles insisted on chewing as he stared out the window at the passing scenery.   
  
Turning on the radio, Jared flipped the dial in search of an indie rock station, determining that he'd found one as the final bars of Cake's "Building a Religion" blared from the rear speakers. The file he'd been given indicated Ackles was a big Kaleo fan, and that "No Good" was something akin to a personal anthem. He briefly considered pulling over and pretending he needed something out of the trunk, and phoning in a request as he huddled under the hood. That seemed a bit much even for a supposedly adoring Junior G-Man, so he opted for another stab at conversation instead.   
  
"I meant what I said."   
  
"What?" asked Ackles, still staring resolutely out the window.   
  
"About there being more out there than most people believe."   
  
Ackles made another noncommittal sound.   
  
Clearing his throat, Jared tried again.   
  
"What I meant to say, was that I believe in the supernatural. I've seen far too much to think it's all fiction and superstition."   
  
That appeared to get the other man's attention.   
  
The dusty brown head swiveled slowly, shrewd green eyes studying him intently as though seeing him for the first time. Jared could feel himself being sized up and catalogued as Ackles tried to process this new information. He appeared to mentally reach some sort of conclusion that he interpreted as "more friend than enemy," judging by the noticeably relaxed posture and faintly curious look Ackles was now giving him.   
  
"Tell me more," Ackles said quietly.   
  
"Well, it just seemed logical to me that there has to have been evidence of the supernatural, because..."   
  
"I meant, tell me more about you."   
  
It wasn't the words, or even the way they were spoken, but something in the body language that sent a surge of adrenaline coursing through Jared's veins, anchoring like a steel spike right between his legs. Ackles was toying with him — had to be. He couldn't possibly be hinting at anything else, right?   
  
"Me? You mean, since I've been with the Bureau?"   
  
"Since, before... right now." That hypnotic flicker of green-gold swept across his body once more, coming to rest somewhere in the area of that invisible spike nailing him to the seat.   
  
Jared looked at him in shock, receiving a bemused grin in return. Jared Padalecki knew how to play naive, but it had been at least ten years since he had actually been naive for real. He knew a come-on when he heard it.   
  
_Damn smug bastard. Okay, Jensen, my man. Two can play at this game._   
  
"Agent Ackles, just so we're clear, I think you should..."   
  
The ringing of a cell phone stopped him mid-sentence, causing Jared to curse silently. Probably fucking Tal calling back to get more details about this help she was supposed to give! He had been assured that Alona Tal, Ackles's previous partner, had been out of the picture after one too many hair-raising experiences. Apparently that was not the case. He gritted his teeth and concentrated on the road as the phone continued to ring.   
  
"Ackles, would you please answer the phone," he finally said in exasperation.   
  
"It's not mine, Jared."   
  
Jared looked at him in surprise then quickly fished his phone out of his jacket pocket, his face flushing red as he thumbed to accept the call.   
  
"Padalecki."   
  
"Hello, Jared," a familiar voice replied.   
  
Jared contained the grimace that threatened to surface at hearing from his temporary boss. "Yes?"   
  
"I don't think you should dissuade Agent Ackles's inquiries into your current case."   
  
Arching an eyebrow, Jared glanced quickly at Ackles before returning his attention to the road. The fact that Morgan was keeping tabs on them was no surprise. Jared had planted the bug in the car himself. It was the swiftness with which the sonofabitch acted that made him uneasy. Jared cleared his throat. "May I ask why?"   
  
"Getting into Agent Ackles's good graces could prove very advantageous, don't you think?"   
  
"Of course." Jared knew it didn't matter what the hell he thought, but he concurred in order to give himself at least a false sense that he had a choice.   
  
"But not too quickly, Jared. We want to keep him interested." A slight pause as he slowly exhaled. "Do you understand?"   
  
"Yes. That's fine."   
  
"Good." He clicked off.   
  
"Everything okay?" Ackles asked.   
  
"Oh, yeah. Fine." Jared smiled quickly. "My, uh, laptop's been in the shop. It's going to be ready as soon as I can go and pick it up. Not kidding, I feel naked without it."   
  
"That's too bad. There’s something very vulnerable about being naked, don’t you think?” Jensen raised one eyebrow. “I guess we can swing by and pick it up." He shifted in his seat. "So, you were saying something about being clear..." He smirked, once again raking his eyes appreciatively over Jared's body.   
  
"Right." Jared ran through various seduction scenarios in his head, settling on simply playing the blushing virgin. He had a feeling it would be the most believable anyway. "It's a little embarrassing, actually."   
  
"Yeah?" Ackles grinned. "What is it?"   
  
Jared opened his mouth as if to speak, then shook his head. "Never mind. It's nothing."   
  
Ackles was quiet for a few moments. Finally, "Hey, if we're going to be partners… I'm just trying to get to know you better, that's all."   
  
Jared looked at him quickly, forcing a convincing blush. "I knew that. I wasn't thinking that you were making any advances or anything." He bit back his smile when he heard Ackles laugh.   
  
"It would make you uncomfortable if I was?"   
  
"You know, for the master profiler you're supposed to be, you're not very good at reading people."   
  
"Hmm," Ackles said thoughtfully. "So, you thought I was trying to come on to you?"   
  
"You mean you weren't?" Jared asked in mock surprise.   
  
"What made you think I was?"   
  
Jared shrugged slightly. "The way you were looking at me. The change in your demeanor."   
  
"I simply found it interesting that you seemed to be sexually aroused, that's all," Ackles said, his voice low.   
  
The statement took Jared by surprise, and his look of shock at Ackles's straightforwardness was genuine. "I--I didn't think--"   
  
"I'd notice?" Ackles grinned. "Well, it's kind of hard not to notice something like that." He glanced down again. "No offense intended, of course."   
  
Jared shifted uncomfortably, trying to hide the erection that was once again beginning to make itself known.   
  
“Of course.”   
  
Ackles continued to watch the road for several seconds before turning back to Jared. “So … are you going to tell me what’s on your mind or not?”   
  
“I told you it’s nothing; we’ll talk about it some other time, after this case is over with.” He felt as if he were being scrutinized by the profiler in Ackles, a bug under a microscope. This was not the way things were supposed to go. Ackles was supposed to be taken in by the coy and ‘not quite broken in’ act. Instead, Jared felt himself losing control of the situation. If he didn’t get himself together he’d be in real trouble.   
  
“So what do you want Tal to do for us?” _When in doubt,_ he thought, _change the subject._   
  
Ackles continued to stare at him as though trying to appraise his level of interest. “I didn't get the chance to tell her, yet, did I? You haven't met my ex-partner, have you? You'll find out when we get back.”   
  
Jared looked at him. “ _You'll_ tell her? How about _we_ tell her?”   
  
Ackles slung his arm across the back of the seat, lightly brushing against Jared’s right shoulder.   
  
“Is there a ‘we’, Jared?”   
  
_Jesus, I can’t take much more of this, please!_ “There should be,” he countered, turning his attention back to the road. “We’re partnered together, and you might as well make the best of it. To me, that means sharing information and including me in on your impulsive little jaunts out of town.”   
  
Ackles continued to look at him from across the seat. His hand was now flexing against the seat back. It was all Jared could do not to look over at him. He couldn’t. To do that would be to admit defeat. It was what Ackles wanted, he was sure of it, but Jared wasn’t about to allow him that kind of control. He would make Ackles see his point and be treated as an equal, and then he greatly feared that he would end up dropping to his knees in front of him and do all the things he’d wanted to do from the moment he’d met the infuriating man.   
  
The thought of having that rock solid cock in his mouth made him break out in a hazy sweat, despite the refrigerated air blowing out of the vents. And the bitch of it was that Ackles seemed to know exactly what was happening inside his head.   
  
_Cocktease! I’d like to give him something to tease all right._ If it wasn’t for the Bureau, his assignment, and the brass watching his every move, he’d give Jensen Ackles something to remember and then walk away, whistling.   
  
He’d pull the car right over to the side of the road and grab that hand off the seat back, shove it to his groin and say, “This is what’s on my mind!”   
  
He’d reach over and unzip Ackles’s pants, pausing only long enough to admire the sight of his doubtless leaking cock, before he’d swallow him whole. He didn’t think Ackles had ever had a proper blowjob, let alone one as good as Jared could give. Not to brag, but he’d received more than his share of compliments in that department, and sucking Ackles’s dick would be a pleasure, assignment or not, and who knows? Maybe it would teach him not to fuck with his partners.   
  
“You make a convincing argument, Jared.” The hand moved from the seat back and settled between the two of them. It rubbed the seat cloth, flexed, and then returned to Ackles’s lap. “I’ll see what I can do about curbing my … impulses.”

  
.  
  
.  


"So much for curbing his fucking impulses," Padalecki muttered as he locked the car, glaring after Ackles's retreating figure. Ackles had leapt out of the car as he'd stopped to let another vehicle out of a parking space.   
  
Angrily, he set off after him at a fast pace. His ire was further raised when Ackles paused at the door and glanced back at him with a wink, before ducking inside.   
  
Casting dignity aside, Padalecki broke into a run. No way was the fucker getting away from him this time. Once inside, he caught sight of Ackles disappearing around a corner and walked briskly after him. It was with a certain satisfaction that he found himself at the autopsy bay where Dr. Alona Tal now spent her days since severing her ties with Special Agent Jensen Ackles. He’d caught up well enough that by the time Ackles reached their destination, Jared was only a few feet behind him. Naturally that didn't stop the senior agent letting the door go in his face.   
  
Jared took a deep breath to contain his anger and sidled inside.   
  
The former and current partners studied one another, as Ackles offhandedly introduced the newcomer.   
  
Eyeing the blood on the glove Dr. Tal was wearing, Jared wasn't sure if he was glad or not that his attempt at a handshake had been brushed aside. He turned and followed them towards the autopsy table, straining to hear what they were saying, and nearly lost his lunch when they drew aside, and he got his first view of the eviscerated corpse. He'd seen bodies before — of course he had. He was a veteran. He'd been in more than one battle and killed his fair share. However, to witness this slight, pretty blonde slopping intestines onto a scale as she calmly dictated her notes was somehow a completely different proposition.   
  
Naturally, both Ackles and Tal gave him pitying looks as he looked away and swallowed the bile which had scalded the back of his throat.   
  
With his stomach under control again, Jared drew nearer to listen to the quiet conversation between the other two agents.   
  
“I told you I wasn’t going to go into the field again,” she said. Warm brown eyes met shining green, and she shrugged. “What exactly do you want from me, Jensen?”   
  
“Girls are going missing — beautiful blonde girls, four of them so far — and frankly Jared just isn’t this particular spirit’s type. He’s just a little too… well male for a start. To put it bluntly, Alona, I need a beautiful blonde I can trust, and you fit the bill much better than this sasquatch I’ve been paired up with.” Jensen gazed at her imploringly. “You know that you can trust me to make sure you’re safe, don’t you? Besides, I understand that Jared here is an ex-Navy Seal or one of those kinds of Boy Scout types.”   
  
“CSO, if you please,” growled Jared. “I was with MARSOC before I joined the Bureau.” Privately he was wondering how the hell Jensen knew he was military. He added it to the ever-growing list of questions he'd ask, when the right time came along.   
  
Alona turned startled eyes to him, and Jared felt uncomfortably as if he had been blowing his own trumpet. He flushed, and she smiled at him. “Don’t worry, Jared, is it? Jensen does this to everyone. He doesn’t feel like it’s been a good day until he’s made someone cry. The only way to deal with him is to let it all bounce back at him.”   
  
“Duly noted,” said Jared, smiling gratefully at his inclusion in the conversation.   
  
“So does that mean you’ll do it?” Jensen beamed at her. “He really needs someone to protect him from me.”   
  
“What you’re not saying is that you want me as bait.” Alona frowned at her erstwhile partner. “Am I right?”   
  
”I… uh, yeah.” Ackles had the grace to blush. “You’re the only hot blonde around that has the intestinal fortitude to be a guinea pig, and you’ll have us to protect you. You’ll be within sight of us both at all times. I just want to get a chance at finding the other girls before it’s too late.”   
  
“You’ve got a nerve,” she growled. “But I guess if it gives us a chance to recover those other women I have to do it. I suppose I’d better come down to your office first thing tomorrow. Can’t abandon Mr. Petronelli here without finishing my report.” She gestured at the still eviscerated corpse that lay on the stainless steel table, waiting patiently for her to complete his autopsy. “That will have to do.”

  


  
  


It was obvious that Jensen wanted to argue, but after a moment he closed his lips and nodded curtly. “Thanks, Alona. I owe you one.” Turning to Jared, he elbowed him in the ribs. “Come on, Sasquatch. Let’s go pick up that laptop of yours. We need to do some research while we wait.”   
  
_Oh, right! The laptop he didn't actually have._ Jared guessed the fun and games were ongoing. Well, he'd have to improvise. Good job he had mad skills.   
  
"Yeah," he muttered. Let's do it!"

  
.  
  
.  


According to some swiftly accomplished research on his phone, the computer department was apparently on the same corridor as Jensen’s office. Who knew? And when Jared led the way in, he had to step over a number of defunct computers that seemed to be in almost the same state as Alona’s Mr. Petronelli, with their guts spilling out in a way that was pretty much guaranteed to trip the unwary.   
  
There seemed to be nobody at all in the department, and he hit the bell on the desk a couple of times to no avail.   
  
“Holy shit!” Jensen Ackles looked around himself with a disdainfully curled lip. “You come here often, Jared?”   
  
That provoked a laugh from his sidekick. “Hell, no! Would you?”   
  
As he spoke, a dusty, dirty blond head rose from below the counter, its owner exclaiming, “I heard that!”   
  
Jared choked, and it took him a minute before he was able to answer. Thankfully, the sight of a face rising up, spider’s web adorning his dirty blond hair, appeared to be enough that his partner also seemed lost for words. Jared breathed a silent prayer of thanks to all the gods in creation that he’d found an unexpected ally.   
  
“Oh, come on, Lindberg. You know you make it look this way to keep people from disturbing you.” Jared suppressed his astonishment at seeing an old comrade-in-arms. Instead, he gave the man a wink and exchanged a complicated handshake with him. This was a splendid piece of luck. He’d lied, and he knew that Jensen suspected it. So the fact that he knew the man before him so well, and his old mate was — at least hopefully — about to bail him out of the problem he’d created for himself made him slightly manic at his own good fortune. “How’s civilian life treating you? I bet nothing’s working back at HQ now you’re gone.”   
  
“Hey, I answer to nobody here. This is my domain,” said Lindberg, standing up straight to reveal that he had the build of a spider monkey, thin and wiry with long, slender fingers. “I can do what I feel like on my own schedule.” He grinned, rubbing his high forehead and smearing oil and dust onto it in the process. “So, great as it is to see you again, what brings you here to my forgotten corner of Quantico?”   
  
Stepping forward so that hopefully Ackles couldn't see his face, Jared fixed him with an imploring face, willing him to play along. "I came to collect my laptop. Is it ready?”   
  
It seemed for a minute as if Lindberg hadn’t made it onto the same wavelength, but he suddenly perked up, beaming so brightly that one could be mistaken for thinking that a light bulb had just been turned on.   
  
“Just trying to remember where I put that,” he said, tapping his forehead. “I have to caution you to stay off the Gay Boys Tube in future, and you’ll stop getting those ridiculous popups. What would Agent Ackles here think if you were looking for something work related, and a huge dick popped up, front and center?”   
  
“Wouldn’t be the first time today,” announced Ackles, snickering as Jared’s face turned crimson.   
  
Lindberg cleared his throat. “Be that as it may!” He turned and shuffled through electronic debris, muttering to himself, until he disappeared from view around the back of a shelf that ran almost the width of the room. He returned several minutes later, carrying a leather case, and when Jared reached for it, Chad unzipped the top of the case for him, to reveal a laptop and a couple of cables.   
  
“Thanks, Chad.” Jared took the case gratefully.   
  
“Any time, Jay-man.” Lindberg waved him off. “Maybe gimme a call so we can catch up when you’re not so busy.”   
  
“Will do, Chadwick. Will do.” As the two visitors picked their way out of the cluttered office, neither of them spoke, but as one they turned down the corridor to the door that hosted Jensen’s current domain. 

  


  
.  
  
.  


Back in the office, Jared lost no time in setting up his newly acquired computer. “Where’s yours?” he asked Ackles.   
  
“Oh, I don’t use ‘em,” responded Ackles. “Don’t trust ‘>em. I prefer the old fashioned way.” He grinned as he gestured. “work your magic, Stretch. Let’s see what you come up with.”   
  
As Jared booted up and got going, Ackles got out his phone and dialed. “Hey, Sonia. I need you to find me what you have on the College Park undergraduate residences. It’s urgent, if you wouldn’t mind.”   
  
Jared looked up and grinned at the other man. “I’ve got something here to be going on with.”   
  
Jared was feeling inordinately proud that his research had come up with not only information about sporadic disappearances that had occurred some fifty years ago, but also information on the history of the building. Looking over at him with a frown, Jensen tossed his phone onto the desk and pulled a chair around so he could sit beside Jared, breathing into his ear.   
  
"So there were disappearances back in the late 50s that match this MO, but then nothing further," murmured Ackles, frowning. "They even had a priest conduct an exorcism. Jeez, that wouldn't happen these days."   
  
"Nothing further until this week," Padalecki commented quietly. “And now there have been four of them in one week, all blonde, and all from the same dorm. Juliet Rockingham was first, then Caroline Alvarez, Heather Jordan and the girl who was taken today, Colleen Donahue.”   
  
Jensen seemed to have mellowed towards him by the time they were sitting side by side studying the screen, and Jared, basking in the sun of Jensen's approval, let himself lean into the agent's personal space.   
  
So much so, that when Jensen turned his head to talk to him, their lips almost touched.   
  
Their eyes met, and Jensen smiled lazily at Jared, who instantly began to feel aroused. From the other man’s dilated pupils, it seemed that he wasn’t in fact the only one who was feeling that way. He smiled back, licking his lips. Agent Ackles was sex on legs, his wet dreams come true, and if he played his cards right Jared could possibly bring things to a head that very evening. One thing was for sure, that certainly wasn't disinterest in Jensen's eyes. He licked his lips again, and the special agent drew back slightly, then turned his head away to look back at the screen.   
  
“Seems as if the building was a boarding house long before it was purchased by the university.” Jared typed furiously and shortly revealed another page of information on the history of the building. “Check it out. It was owned by Cornelius Briggs. He was arrested back in the 50s and executed for multiple murders, and the building then fell into disrepair until some squatter set it on fire. Looks like the university bought it in 1968, spruced it up, and then it served as office space for a while before being converted into a dorm for the undergrads.”   
  
“I guess we need site plans for the entire complex, don’t we?” Ackles bit his lip. “We’ll need to get those from the university tomorrow. I’m going to call it a night. Tomorrow we’ll collect Alona and take off for College Park, so get some beauty sleep.” As he rose to his feet he leanedf orward and placed his hands on the desk. “Oh, word of warning. You should carry a bag of salt, a zippo lighter and if possible some kind of fire accelerant.”   
  
“Huh?” Jared looked up at him with a frown. “Why do I need those?”   
  
“You’ll see,” smirked Ackles, before turning and walking out, leaving Jared to pack up his new computer and sit scratching his head in puzzlement.   


  
.  
  
.  


The sun hadn’t peeked above the horizon before Jared was up and out for a run, needing to work off some energy before arriving at the office he’d begun thinking of as the W-Files (W for weird). He was hoping to get in some much-needed exercise and still be there before Agent Ackles took it upon himself to head out without him.   
  
As he entered the office, he found Jensen Ackles himself sitting, idly tossing pencils up into the ceiling tiles and swiveling back and forth in his chair. He checked his watch with a frown, wondering if the man had gone home of if he actually lived in this dingy little office.   
  
“Did you bring the salt and stuff?” Ackles looked up at him with a faint smirk on his face.   
  
“In my car,” nodded Jared. “Along with my laptop and my sandwiches.”   
  
“Sandwiches?” Pretty green eyes opened wide. “This is a ghost hunt, not a picnic.”   
  
“Hey. I’m a growing boy! I hunt abductors far better when I’ve been fed.” Jared struck a pose, wide grin on his face.   
  
There was no opportunity for a response because just then Alona Tal appeared, smiling and carrying a cardboard tray containing three steaming mugs. “Breakfast is served,” she said, dropping the tray to the table. Handing the carrier bag she had slung over her elbow to Jared, she dropped into one of the chairs and put her feet up on the desk to raise her eyes to the ceiling. “Eleven,” she murmured. “I think that might be a record.”   
  
“Been practicing.” Jensen beamed at her and tossed another pencil up to the tiles above him. It stuck in like a dart. Raising his arms in victory, he rose to his feet. “He shoots! He scores!” he crowed.   
  
“Good to see that you’ve been working on the important skills,” she said. “So what do you have in mind for today? Tell me you aren’t going to stake me out like the sacrificial virgin without some plan to save me if needed.”   
  
“My very dearest, fearless and indomitable Dr. Tal, when have I ever let you down?” asked Jensen. “Besides, we’ve got Gargantua here. I’m betting he’s got hidden skills.”   
  
“Yeah. I do.” Jared turned to Alona. “First thing I want to do is put a bug on you — a tracer — so that if or when you’re taken we can pinpoint your location. Then I want to put a wire on you so that you can tell us anything relevant.”   
  
Jensen looked at Jared with interest. “You know how to get all that set up?” he asked, a faint hint of admiration in his voice.   
  
“Sure do.” Jared licked his forefinger and sketched out a checkmark in the air. “After we parted company last evening, I paid a visit back to IT, to see my pal Lindberg. We served together and he's got lots of ideas. It’s amazing what he’s got in that heap of junk he keeps over there.”   
  
“Awesome. I admire your enterprise.” Jensen turned to Alona. “See? We have all the modern conveniences these days. Let’s go. Time’s a-wasting. We’ll take Jared’s car, since he seems to have more exciting gadgetry than you and I ever dreamed about!”

  
.  
  
.  


  
  


The drive out to the UMD campus was actually fairly pleasant. Ackles didn’t seem to want to play any further mind games and actually engaged Jared in conversation about his car, waxing enthusiastic about the beauty of it, while Jared sheepishly confessed that he’d done the restoration himself.   
  
He pumped Jared for information about the kinds of electronic devices that might prove useful to them in future cases. That was somewhat amusing to Jared, since, mindful of his experience the previous day when he’d been ditched like the proverbial bad date, he’d pinned a small transmitter to the back hem of Jensen’s jacket. He hadn’t activated it yet, but that wouldn’t be a problem, since he could set it to begin transmitting as soon as he pushed the button on the control that was hidden away in his computer case. It would emit a high pitched sound as it turned on, but his computer would then lock into it and pinpoint his location.   
  
Agent Tal had also been fitted out with a wire and a transmitter that would allow Jared to track her presence, and she, too, seemed interested in the different devices that could be deployed in their work. They arrived outside the residential building in what seemed to be the blink of an eye.   
  
Inside, Ackles and Tal went to get the stakeout organized, while Jared headed off to the administration offices to get detailed plans of the campus as a whole. It was an arduous procedure, with lots of red tape, but Jared had been in the military and undergone rigorous training for this kind of thing, and he quietly filled out form after form, trailed from department to department, until in the end, he achieved his goal and left with a tightly furled roll of plans for the entire site.   
  
He was just climbing into his car to head back to the others when his phone rang. Checking the screen, he saw that it was Ackles calling, so he took his time, climbing into his car and stowing the charts at a leisurely pace, before answering. “Padalecki,” he said as he pushed his keys into the ignition.   
  
“Oh, thank God!” Jared sat up straight, all thoughts of winding Ackles up gone. It wasn’t Jensen on the phone at all. It was Agent Tal.   
  
“Alona?” Jared started the car as he was speaking. “What’s wrong?”   
  
“It’s Jensen,” she said. “He’s disappeared. I thought for a minute that you had too. I’m so happy you didn’t.”   
  
“Disappeared? You mean like he’s gone to get more coffee or something?” Jared wedged his phone into the space between his chin and shoulder as he pulled away from the curb to drive the half mile or so back to the residence hall.   
  
“No,” she said, sounding cross. “I mean disappeared. One minute we were talking, and he was walking around with that EMF meter of his, and the next minute it crackled and whined, and when I turned around it was on the floor with his phone, and he was nowhere to be seen.”   
  
“Look, stay right where you are. I’ll be there in just a minute.” Jared was pulling up outside the building as he was speaking, and he hopped out, running for the door with the plans tucked under his arm. Alona turned towards him as he ran through the door of the second floor dorm room, a look of concern on her face.   
  
Whatever the EMF meter had done before, it was silent now with not so much as a crackle coming from it. Jared and Alona went over what had happened and who was standing where when it happened, and then Jared gave an exasperated sigh. “It’s just what he would do, isn’t it?”   
  
“What do you mean?” Alona frowned at him.   
  
“I mean he’d head off on his own rather than include anyone else on the case.” Jared dropped down onto the extremely uncomfortable single bed and put his head in his hands. “Sorry to have to break it to you, Agent Tal, but he’s kind of an egotistical jerk.”   
  
“Don’t be silly. If he was going to try and claim all the glory for himself, why would he leave his phone behind? Aside from the EMF meter it’s his favorite toy.” Alona crossed to sit next to him and put her hand on his arm. “I know he can be a bit of a jerk, but he isn’t being one this time; I just know it. He’s in trouble. I can feel it.”   
  
“But he’s not a blonde.” Jared said. “I know he’s really pretty, but he’s got dark hair, and the other vics have all had blonde hair.”   
  
The two of them sat for a further couple of minutes, and then Jared sighed again. “I guess we have to check all the victims for other traits they have in common, because if he’s been yanked away by the spirit or whatever it is, it can’t be because of his golden curls.”   
  
“That’s for sure.” Alona went over to the table to lay out the photos of the four missing girls, while Jared flicked open the laptop and booted it up to search for their descriptions. 

  
.  
  
.  


Special Agent Jensen Ackles woke with a blinding headache, and that in itself confused him. He couldn’t recall falling asleep. He couldn’t remember what he’d been doing or where he was, and for some reason he couldn’t move.   
  
He opened his eyes, but it didn’t help, because wherever he was lying was as black as the hubs of hell. He could see nothing, but wherever he was stank — a pervasive, charnel-house stench that made him take shallow breaths in order not to vomit.   
  
He tried to lift his head, tried to raise his arm, but he was utterly unable to make even the smallest gesture. Close to panicking now, he tried to calm himself. What had he been doing? He bit his lip, trying to recall where he had been before... before whatever had pinned him down in this place.   
  
He’d been... looking for signs of EMF. The closet in the last victim’s bedroom. He’d opened the door, and his meter had gone haywire. He had reached into his pocket for salt and... this didn’t make sense. He was most definitely not a blonde. Sure, when he was a kid he’d done highlights, but that was 15 years ago. The spiked and tousled hair he sported now was a deep, dusty brown. _What the hell?_   
  
He was concentrating hard, trying to think of protection spells that might work to get him out of trouble, since he wasn’t going to be able to do anything physical. It certainly seemed as if he was going to have to find out just what this Cornelius jackass wanted of him first hand, and that presented a problem.   
  
He had lost himself in thought, running through lore and case notes and the profile on Padalecki that he’d been sent by an anonymous informant. Nothing was helping. He was so caught up in furious efforts to find a way to release himself that he didn’t realize that there was light beginning to seep into his surroundings.   
  
The light had a nasty, greenish tinge, and as he suddenly jolted into frightened awareness of it, he began to see his surroundings at last. The sight was anything but reassuring.   
  
Beside him, mere inches away from him, was a body. Blood-matted blonde hair, a face whose bloody mouth was set in a scream from which it would never be released, and blackened holes where the eyes had been, all lying in a thick black puddle of what could only be congealed blood.   
  
The girl, for it had certainly been a girl, was in her night clothes — a bloody satin slip from which one breast had escaped. Her body was twisted and she had obviously been tortured before she had died. Jensen closed his eyes. He wasn’t ready to see that. He didn’t think he would ever be.   
  
The light had grown, and with it had come sounds, rustling and scraping. It seemed that the show was about to start. Jensen just hoped that Jared was up to finding him before he ended up like the ruined body beside him.   
  
When the spirit appeared, it was almost an anticlimax. Sure, there was a blast of cold. Sure, it was creepy in the extreme, but it paled to insignificance beside the sight of the dead girl lying so close to him.   
  
It took him a long few seconds to realize that the ghostly presence looming over him wasn’t that of a man, and for a little while what he was seeing, gruesome as it was, didn’t make sense. When he finally realized, he wished he could slap his forehead.   
  
The apparition was female. She wore satin night attire — a slip with spaghetti straps and a pair of shorts. Her image changed from moment to moment: one minute whole and beautiful, the next, an eyeless, screaming replica of the corpse Jensen could still see from the corner of his eye.

  
  


“Juliet?” He gulped. “You’re not Cornelius Briggs at all, are you? You’re Juliet Rockingham.”   
  
There was no response from the ghost. Instead, she bent down beside him, and reached out a hand to caress his face, palm cold against his skin.   
  
“They will do,” declared the ghost, peering into his eyes and nodding, expression for a moment one of almost human satisfaction. She pressed down against the corner of his right eye, and then drew back. “No, no. Better to cut them out. Don’t want to burst the pretty things by mistake.”   
  
“Hey, Juliet?” Jensen said as she began to straighten up. “What are you going to do?”   
  
There was no answer from Juliet. She was fading, and so was the light. In only a few seconds, Jensen found himself alone in the foul dark once again.

  
.  
  
.  


Jared and Alona were poring over the profiles of the four earlier victims, checking for any similarities other than the blonde hair, and it didn’t take them long to realize that all four of them had green eyes.  
  
“What color are Jensen’s eyes?” Alona frowned.

“Don’t you know?” Jared was astonished.

Alona opened her mouth. "I..." she seemed to choke and shrugged instead of continuing.

“They’re green," said Jared, frowning. "How did we _not_ notice before?”

“Green eyes! That must be it.” Alona reached for the plans of the building. “We need to find out where he is.”

“Got it covered.” Jared smirked and pulled his laptop to him. He fumbled for the controller that was affixed to the inside of the lid and pushed the button that would activate the device he’d pinned onto Ackles’s jacket. There was a moment’s pause and then the high pitched squeal that would provide him with the other agent’s location. “He’s somewhere close by. To the southeast. What can you see over in that direction?”

“Hmmm...That’s the old part of the building. There’s a couple of offices, furnace room, kitchen, electrical room and janitorial cupboard, looks like. There aren’t any residential units along that way, and it’s mostly unused at the moment.” Alona’s frown intensified. “Did you bug him?” She snorted. “Oh, my God! He’ll kill you!”

“That’s supposing we find him alive.” Jared had gathered up his computer and was in the doorway. “Come on. Bring the flashlight too.” He didn’t wait. He headed off at a run, and by the time Alona caught up with him, he had already scanned the furnace room, and discovered there was nowhere that someone as large as Jensen could be concealed.

“Check the next door,” he yelled, trying to open up the electrical room, and when it proved to be locked, raising a size 13 foot, clad in a steel-toed military regulation boot and shattering the door around the lock so he could see in. “Fuck! Nothing.” he grumbled.

“Nothing here either.” Alona had opened the janitorial supply closet, and a cascade of mops and brooms had descended on her to bounce off and litter the floor.

“That leaves the kitchen. Isn’t that in active use?” Jared rushed across the corridor to shove open the door and came to a stop just inside. Stainless steel cupboards and worktops gleamed as Alona switched on the fluorescent lights. There were pots neatly stacked and racks of utensils. One drawer was standing open, and it was neatly arrayed with an assortment of knives. Wire racks whose purposes were to contain vegetables, according to the labels on each shelf, stood like skeletons. There was no trace of Jensen in the room. Jared pulled open the fridge, saw only white, empty shelves, and then went to check the walk-in freezer. That too was empty.

“He’s not here.” Alona peered at the plan she still carried. “I don’t know...”

“Wait.” Jared tossed his computer onto the worktop and went to pull out an array of wire shelves that still contained one or two canned items. “Here!” He indicated a low door. “There’s something...”  
  
The door had been sealed shut, and it took Jared a moment of rattling the handle to realize that he’d need to break it open. It took him several kicks before it disintegrated, revealing a set of stairs and unleashing the most unholy smell Jared had ever experienced.

He didn’t hesitate. Pulling his T-shirt up over his mouth and nose to cover them as best he could, he charged down the stairs, reckless as he took them two at a time. Alona, gagging a little, followed him with the flashlight, treading somewhat more cautiously. As they reached the foot of the stairs, a sudden shriek made the two of them jump.

“Jensen?” Jared turned to go in the direction of the sound, bellowing, “Jensen, is that you?”

  
.  
  
.  


Jensen could feel sweat running down his neck, and just the thought of the ghost returning to cut out his eyes made him hyperventilate. He struggled to move, to reach his pocket to find his salt, but he couldn’t summon even the twitch of a pinky. He began to pray.   
  
The light began to grow again, and he knew he didn’t have much time left. Juliet faded slowly into sight, flickering a little as she moved towards him. He could feel the chill run down his back as he saw that she was clutching a very long, very pointy looking knife.   
  
“Oh, God,” he said.   
  
“God? There is no God.” Juliet dropped to her knees beside him and reached to trail the knife along his cheek.   
  
“What happened to you, Juliet?” He flinched as the knife pricked his cheek, causing a trickle of blood to wend its way down into his ear. “Who killed you?”   
  
For a minute her face looked fully human, and tears welled in the corners of her eyes, then they faded to show the empty sockets once more.   
  
“Once I have these, my professor will want me again.” She petted his eyelids, cold fingers sliding gently over them. “Look at them, Professor. Look at them. They’re so pretty.” She brought the knife close once more, centered it just above his cheekbone and began to press it in.   
  
At that point, several things happened at once. There were several loud bangs and then the sound of splintering wood, then a faint beam of daylight shone in, making Juliet’s figure less corporeal. Jensen screamed, believing that his eye was about to be cut from his face, and then blinked as Juliet vanished and salt dropped all around him.   
  
The knife fell onto the concrete with a clatter, and in another second Jared was standing over him. “That didn’t look like any Cornelius I ever saw,” he muttered, reaching to pull Jensen to his feet.   
  
The salt sprinkling on him seemed to have freed him, temporarily at least, and Jensen was able to get up with Jared’s assistance, somewhat stiff from being held in the one position for so long. “What took you so long?” he asked.

  
.  
  
.  
Female Undergraduate's Hall of Residence, University of Maryland  


Jared shouldn’t have been surprised when they were met with a snarky comment from the man they’d just saved, but as he surveyed Jensen’s shocked appearance, he decided that now was definitely not the time.   
  
He could wait.   
  
“We’d have been even longer if Jared didn’t have eagle eyes and really big feet.” Alona peered at the body that Jensen had determined was Juliet’s. “Hmmm, I’d say she’s been dead for at least two weeks, maybe longer. Difficult to tell in this dry atmosphere.”   
  
Jared was prowling around the rest of the room, and soon found that there were gaps in the blockwork at one end of it that appeared to run back under the kitchen. “I guess that at one time this was storage for the kitchen. Looks like it’s storage for something else now.” He backed away, holding his shirt up over his nose. “Three of them in there. That’s all of them, isn’t it?”   
  
“I guess we’re going to have to call it in, but first we need to dispose of Juliet here.” Jensen was standing on the stairs, ready to get as far away from the place he’d been held as possible.   
  
“Dispose?” Jared was waiting for Alona to follow before moving up after them.   
  
“We can’t leave her. She’ll only go after someone else with green eyes as soon as she finds one. We have to salt and burn her.”   
  
Alona gasped. “That’s right. I guess we could drag her through to the furnace. It’s not far.”   
  
“Too much trace evidence,” snapped Jensen. “Her blood’s all over the place. She’d still be able to manifest. We’re going to have to do it here.”   
  
“You mean set fire to the building?” If Jared had thought that Ackles was off the wall before, he was convinced of it now. “You’re talking about burning a building down and the other girls with it.”   
  
“Better that than they become vengeful spirits too,” said Jensen. “Did you bring accelerant with you like I asked?”   
  
”Yeah. It’s in the car.”   
  
“Gimme the keys.” It took a moment, but finally Jared nodded and tossed them to him, and Jensen took off. Meanwhile, Alona had taken out her phone and was now calmly photographing the remains of Juliet Rockingham from several different angles.   
  
Jared had to admire her ability to remain unaffected by the stench of decay as she moved on to snap pictures of the three other girls in their shared tomb. “You know, I hate loose ends,” he said at length.   
  
“What do you mean?” Getting to her feet once more, Alona slipped her phone into her pocket and moved back to the stairs.   
  
“Well, I can accept that Juliet was the one to cause these three to die, but someone had to start the trend, and that wasn’t Juliet.” They were back in the kitchen again, and Alona was opening the cupboards, searching for something as he spoke. She didn’t answer at first, and just then Jensen came tearing back down the corridor and into the kitchen carrying the can of gasoline from the trunk of Jared’s Impala.   
  
“You’ve gotta let me drive that thing,” he growled, tossing the keys back to Jared. “She’s a beauty. Okay, let’s go do the deed.”   
  
Alona had left the room, but now came back carrying a sack half full with the rough salt that was intended for putting on the icy pathways in winter. “Looks like the janitor is well supplied.”   
  
“Okay. Let’s do it.” Jensen led the way down the stairs and over to where Juliet was lying. Jared closed his laptop and picked it up, then followed Jensen, while Alona brought up the rear with her bag of salt. “Better be ready to run like hell once she catches light. The place is going to go up like the towering inferno.”   
  
Salt was sprinkled onto the remains, and Jensen poured gasoline onto her, then they moved over to do the same to the three bodies that lay beneath the kitchen floor. Jared stood ready with the matches to toss one onto the trail of gas, when suddenly, Juliet was there once more with her knife. She made no sound but held the knife aloft as she reached for Jensen.   
  
“Burn it,” shouted Alona, throwing the rest of the salt, sack included, at the ghost. She disappeared, only to pop back into existence a second later, and Jared quickly struck a match and threw it onto Juliet’s body. It caught instantly, and Jared wasted no time in making his getaway. He dashed up the stairs even faster than he’d descended them earlier, followed by Alona and then Jensen.   
  
Scrambling out of that part of the building, Jared was already dialing the emergency services to report the blaze.   
  
It didn’t take long to collect the items they’d brought with them, and as the fire alarms began to sound, the three of them climbed into the car, and Jared turned the car towards the admin building so they could return the plans.   
  
“Jared had a point earlier.” It was Alona that spoke as the car drew away from the building, leaving behind a clanging mayhem that was already bringing a bunch of grumbling residents out onto the path outside. “Someone killed Juliet and left her there. They’re still at large and likely to do it again.”   
  
“We’ve got a murder on our hands,” said Jared, wincing as a fire engine careened past them, siren wailing. “I guess we need to start by finding out who she associated with before she disappeared.”   
  
“We need to get a list of the faculty she was studying under, too.” Jensen swallowed. “When she was going to cut my eyes out, she was talking to a professor, telling whoever the professor might be that they were perfect. That was all I actually got from her when I asked her who killed her.”   
  
Drawing up outside the administration building, Jared reached for the roll of plans. “Gotta take these back in, because I had to sign them out, and they’ll charge me if we keep them.”   
  
As he climbed out of the car, the other two exited with him. “Guess we can find out her teachers, and the classes she was taking at the same time,” said Jensen. “We need to get a list of her friends as well.”   
  
Nodding, Jared turned to look back the way they had come, and shuddered as he watched a huge plume of thick, black smoke curl skyward, chased by flames that licked their way up as if reaching to pull it back to earth. “Dude, I think we really did a number on that place.”   
  
The other two gazed back, open mouthed, for a moment, before all three of them turned to head into the office building.

  
.  
  
.  


Jensen was uncharacteristically quiet on the way back into town. They’d gathered as much information as they could from administration and had even been back to the now smoldering building to see if they could interview any of Juliet’s neighbors. There really wasn’t much more they could do until the following day.   
  
As they dropped Alona off at her home in Southbridge, she demanded to be kept in the loop about any further progress they might make on the case. Jensen promised that he would keep her informed, while she emailed copies of the photos she’d taken to Jared’s email account. Pulling away once more from Alona’s little house, Jared turned to Jensen, who was beginning to look very pale as the shocking events of the day took their toll.   
  
“Dude, are you okay?” Jared slowed the car and pulled in to the curb. “You’re not looking too great right now.”   
  
“Not feeling too great either.” Jensen rubbed his face, then raised his eyes to Jared’s. He was almost white in the washed out glimmer of the street lamps, and his complexion was tinged with green. His pupils were dilated, and the small cut on his cheek showed stark against the pallor of his skin. Jared bit his lip.   
  
“Look, I know that today was a nightmare for you. I can’t imagine what it felt like, but you’re in no condition to just go home. I think you need to go get checked out at a hospital. What do you say?”   
  
“Hospital?” Jensen looked horrified. “Absolutely not!” He gave a slight shudder. “I wouldn’t mind a couple of pints of something alcoholic, though. Something _spiritual_ as you might say.” His face gave an approximation of his usual smirk, although it somehow seemed to lack any humor.   
  
Jared thought for a minute and then nodded as he re-started the car. “All right, but you’re not going to be on your own tonight. Get as drunk as you like, but you’re still gonna come home with me.”   
  
Wagging his finger at Jared, Jensen laughed. “You want me, don’t you? I knew it!”   
  
“It’s not a question of whether I want you or not,” growled Jared. “I sure as hell wouldn’t let anyone go through a trauma like you just experienced without anyone to stand by them.” Jared ruffled Jensen’s hair, much to the other man’s annoyance. “So shut up and live with it.”   
  
For a moment, he thought Jensen was going to punch him, but then he saw the man huddle into himself. “Thank you,” he whispered. “Not looking forward to trying to sleep tonight.”   
  
“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Jensen didn’t answer, and Jared turned his car to Silver Spring, and home.   
  
Jared pulled into the parking lot of the bar that was right next door to his new apartment building. “I have only been in here once, but they serve booze,” he said with a grin. “So come on. The first one is on me, and if we need, I can fling you over my shoulder like Tarzan and carry you home.”   
  
“Big of you,” said Jensen, flashing him the pale ghost of a smile in reply. “You’re all right, Padalecki. I thought you were going to be the typical army yahoo, but I’m happy to report that you‘re not what I expected.”   
  
“Hey! Wait. How _did_ you know I’m military?” Jared shook his head, and decided this was the perfect time to get at least one of his questions answered.   
  
“I received a resume.” Jensen smiled. “A resume from someone I trust.”   
  
“I guess it wasn’t Morgan then,” grinned Jared as he led the way into the bar. Inwardly he was frustrated. So Jensen had known who he was, and presumably why he was there, before Jared had ever actually met him. That was annoying and spoke to the existence of a plot Jared had really refused to consider until now, despite Morgan’s assertions. He’d need to think about this, but later. He added it to the hundred other things he needed to think about. Right now he had to concentrate on helping Jensen get through the night.   
  
Drinks were purchased, and the color began to return to Jensen’s cheeks as the alcohol took hold. Jared kept a watchful eye on him, and when Jensen began to slur a little, he announced that it was time to get some sleep. “We’ve got some serious sleuthing to do tomorrow, and I wouldn’t want you to be less than 100% functional for it. That poor girl deserves it.”   
  
Jensen nodded. “Okay. I’m a little bit under the influence already, you know. Not usually such a lightweight.”   
  
“You were going into shock, man. I thought I was gonna have to drag you to seek medical help.” Jared put his arm around Jensen’s back and steadied him as he got to his feet. “And you know, you aren’t what I expected either. Thought you were gonna be a complete dick.”   
  
“And I’m not?” Jensen smirked, looking up at Jared from under his lashes.   
  
“Not a complete one,” replied Jared with a laugh as he led his new partner into his building and up to his apartment. “I guess there’s still time, but on the whole I’m wondering what the hell the fuss about you is all about.”   
  
Smiling muzzily, Jensen placed a smacking kiss on Jared’s cheek. “You’re nice,” he said. “Hey, wait a minute! What fuss about me?”   
  
For a moment, Jared froze, then he sighed. “From what I’ve gathered, you’re being watched very carefully, and there seem to be strategies in place to steer you away from certain cases. I don’t know why that might be, but perhaps you do?”   
  
“I know that they all think that I’m a crackpot, but you’ve seen that first-hand.” Jensen sat down on Jared’s mattress with a groan. “It’s probably something budget related. They hate to spend money at the best of times.”   
  
“I guess you’ve got a point,” nodded Jared. “But I was given quite the warning by Assistant Director Morgan when I reported for duty, and I got the impression that I was being detailed to spy on you and report back to him. Care to elaborate?”   
  
“Are you gonna?” Jensen smirked again and shed his jacket, tossing it onto the floor since there didn’t appear to be any furniture at hand to drape it on. “Spy on me, I mean?”   
  
“You think they’d believe me if I reported back what happened today? I know I wouldn’t if I hadn’t been there with you. I think I’ll avoid getting arrested for setting the whole building on fire and just report the mundane case, once we solve it.”   
  
The smirk dissolved into a sweeter smile, and Jensen pulled him down to kiss his mouth. “I’m starting to really like you, Padalecki.”   
  
“That’s a good thing, Agent Ackles,” murmured Jared. “Shall I tell you all about my fantasies in the car yesterday?”   
  
“Nah! Show me,” said Jensen, reaching for Jared’s shirt buttons and starting to unfasten them with great care.   
  
With a low laugh, Jared bent to reciprocate. Jensen’s look of concentration as he went about his task was giving Jared the urge to bite something, possibly something warm and juicy and currently encased in Armani.   
  
Deftly unfastening Jensen’s silk pants, Jared’s first thought after he’d slid them off Jensen’s legs was to toss them over his shoulder, but his conscience won and he rose to fold them neatly and place them with his jacket. Sadly, when he turned back to complete the agent’s wardrobe removal, Jensen Ackles had passed out cold and lay snoring softly on the mattress.   
  
“Lightweight,” muttered Jared, sighing. “Oh, well. I can wait.”   
  
Stripping down to his underwear, he pulled off Jensen’s shoes and then wormed his way in behind Jensen. It wasn’t long before he was sleeping too.

  
.  
  
.  


There were no nightmares. Jared woke to the press of a warm body against his back and the shrill alarm from his phone that signified time to get up.   
  
“Hate that noise,” slurred Jensen’s voice from somewhere behind his neck. “Kill it, for God’s sake.”   
  
“Feeling murderous this morning, are we?” asked Jared, grinning as he stretched and then pushed to sitting. He reached to turn off the alarm.   
  
“Feeling sleepy.” Jensen rolled over onto his stomach with a sigh. “Sleep good. Noise bad!”   
  
“Oh! You’re one of those, are you?” Jared rose to his feet and headed toward the bathroom. “You won’t catch any worms with that attitude,” he said. “Up and at ‘em.”   
  
“God! Shut up!” Ackles finally clambered up and shuffled towards the bathroom, elbowing Jared aside as he went. “Guests first,” he growled. “Coffee!”   
  
Jared laughed out loud at that and went to do his visitor’s bidding, calling out, "You've got a lot to learn about working as a team, Ackles!”   
  
“I can’t hear you over the sound of how awesome I am, Padalecki” called out Jensen as he began to brush his teeth, presumably using Jared’s toothbrush.   
  
Coffee appeared to be the catalyst that turned Jensen Ackles back into a human being, and several cups later they were back on the road, heading back towards College Park and the university campus.

  
.  
  
.  


The building that had so lately housed Juliet and her fellow students stood stark against a leaden sky, faint curls of smoke still lazily rising from it. It would likely need to be razed and then rebuilt, and Jared was horrified at the thought of what they’d done.

Ackles smirked at him as they approached it. “Collateral damage is what they call it. Nobody was hurt, and Juliet is at rest. That’s what’s important.”

“That’s as may be,” grumbled Jared. “I’ll feel better when the bastard that did that to her is under lock and key. I think she will too.”

Nodding, Jensen flipped open his notebook. “Okay. Today we’re going to talk to her professors and see just what kind of tale they tell. Seems that she was a brain. She was doing physics, math and engineering.”

“Great,” murmured Jared, smoothly pulling into the visitor’s parking. “Let’s go see what’s cooking.”

The two of them seemed to have developed some synchrony in the last couple of days. They were perfectly in step when they marched into the science block and began looking for the teachers they wanted to interview.

They gleaned little from the Mathematics Department. The professor was a dour, elderly scot, who recalled Juliet as a student, but who confessed that he hadn’t had that much to do with her. According to him, his TAs had really been the ones who had contact with her, since she was in her first year. The professor promised to round up the TAs who had had contact with Juliet, and arrange for a meeting as soon as he’d gathered them together.

The Faculty of Engineering was their next port of call, and they swiftly ruled out the prof, who headed up the department. Once again, the TAs were summoned and this time they got to interview them without having to await the department head’s pleasure. The final young man to be interviewed made Jared sit up and take notice. He was wearing an eye patch, and as Ackles began to ask him questions, Jared felt more and more certain that he had something to do with Juliet’s murder.

The man was evidently uncomfortable. He seemed hesitant to make eye contact and shifted uneasily as Jensen asked questions about the projects Juliet had been working on. Jared, who had until now remained silent as he took notes, suddenly laid down his pen and leaned forward.

“Agent Ackles, if I may?” Jensen looked surprised, but gave him a nod, and Jared turned to the TA.

“What’s wrong with your eye?” he asked.

“It... I... There was an accident.” The TA appeared flustered. A flush rose to his cheeks. “We were conducting a routine overhaul of some equipment, and... I wasn’t wearing my safety glasses, and...”

“When did that happen?” Jensen had gathered where Jared was going with his questioning, and now moved in to pursue it.

“I don’t... I don’t know the exact date. I was a little... out of it.” The TA shrugged. “It was a bit of a shock.”

“I imagine it was.” Jared tried to look sympathetic. “I’d be pretty damned nuts if I suddenly lost an eye. You did lose it, didn’t you?”

“I... Yes.” The man rose to his feet, anger displayed for the first time as he seemed to realize he’d been discovered. “The stupid bitch was supposed to hold onto the chain. She couldn’t do anything right.”

“Are you talking about Juliet Rockingham?” Jensen’s voice was harsh. “Is that why you killed her?”

“Yes!” The TA had retreated behind his chair and picked it up, brandishing it as a weapon. “An eye for an eye. Isn’t that what the bible says?”

Jared got to his feet and stalked towards the apparently demented young man. “The bible,” he growled, “says turn the other cheek.” He grabbed hold of the chair with one hand and tore it from the other man’s grasp, then fended off the knife he’d drawn, turning the young man’s wrist until the knife clattered to the ground. “Better treat that as evidence. I’m sure there will be traces of blood on it.”

“Got it all on record,” said Jensen, “But a little more evidence won’t hurt.”

  
.  
  
.  


The police had arrived in short order to charge the hapless TA, whose name turned out to be Tyler Johnson. He was taken into custody, along with a copy of the recording of his confession, and the two agents finally made their escape as the sun was setting.

They called into a greasy spoon a few miles out to eat, and Jared watched, increasingly grumpy as Jensen did pornographic things to his French fries.

Jared narrowed his eyes as he continued eating his own fries, resentful of his body's reaction to Jensen’s apparent come-ons. At least he thought they were come-ons. He frowned, chewing thoughtfully. Had it been so long since someone had flirted with him that he didn't recognize it when he saw it?

“Okay, okay. You don’t have to sell it. I already drank the Kool-Aid.” Jared chuckled. “I know you’re hot. You know you want me. We should go make out or something.”

With a slight shrug, Jensen wiped his mouth. "Wouldn't it be more productive to go for the full-fledged fuck?"

Jared, who was drinking his coffee when Jensen's voice cut into his concentration, coughed and sprayed the brown, viscous liquid onto the table. "Uh... Jensen?" Jared could see that Jensen’s self-possession had returned, and he could feel Jensen's eyes on him as he visibly patted his own back into place. "Which do you prefer? Be honest! Slow or fast?"

Jensen snickered and signaled for the check. The smug expression indicated to Jared that Jensen believed he'd regained at least a little ground. He was grinning as he helped Jared clean up the mess. "You'd love to know, wouldn't you?"

"Me? Not especially." Jared was suddenly very busy flicking an imagined smut off his pristine, white shirt. "Frankly, I like a blow job far better. Your partner can't talk and ruin the mood. He eyed his partner speculatively. "I have you pegged as an all-out 'love me, fuck me, out the door' type, but I've given up special relationships since Afghanistan, so that's fine."

“Oh, child, you have no idea what you’d be getting into with me.” Jensen’s demeanor suddenly went from flirtatious to serious. “They don’t care, back at the office, but if you decided to join me, we’d be hunting things, saving people. We’ll get no thanks except for knowing that sometimes we save the victim and stop the public from finding out just how many evil things inhabit the night.”

“Sounds like a challenge,” agreed Jared. “I know what I saw, and I think we can work together.”

“Really?” asked Jensen, tossing his company credit card down on the table for the waiter. “You weren’t bad. You certainly saved me from needing glasses.” He gave Jared the kind of look that, under other circumstances, would have made Jared drag him into a corner and rip off his clothes. “I think we can give it a try.”

As the two of them left the diner, they were walking close enough together that their hands and shoulders were rubbing with each step.

  
.  
  
.  


The trip back — to Jensen’s place this time — was conducted at high speed, and in total silence other than the muttered directions as Jared sped through the streets. Jared could feel the tension from Jensen in the seat beside him and was experiencing a similar, scarcely controlled desperation himself.

At Jensen’s bidding, Jared pulled his car into the empty spot Jensen indicated and jumped out without caring that he was parked at a sloppy angle. Jensen was already out and heading to the door of the apartment block as Jared locked up and scooted after him.

This apartment complex was in a much higher league than his own was. There was an elevator, and Jensen thumbed the button to summon it, then growled in frustration when the car didn’t immediately appear and grabbed Jared’s arm as he headed for the stairs.

Two lights later, and Jared had Jensen pressed face first against his front door as he nipped and kissed along the firm jaw. “God damn it, Jared, let me get the door open.”

“Just hurry up, Ackles.” Jared ground his dick against Jensen’s ass, but then let him go, stepping back so Jensen could get his key into the lock. The door finally gave way, and flew open as the pair of them fell into the apartment, completely off-balance. This time Jensen recovered faster and had the upper hand, slamming the door and surging up against Jared to knock him back against the panels, lick under his jaw, and then savage his mouth.

Jared took it in stride. He reached down to cup Jensen’s buttocks, yanking him up and off his feet as their tongues slid against each other. Chuckling, Jensen raised his knees and wrapped his legs around Jared’s hips, clinging like a limpet as he sank his teeth into Jared’s lower lip. Jared suddenly realized that he was definitely not in Kansas anymore.

"Fuck," Jared breathed and shifted a little. He could feel the press of Jensen's dick against his belly. and he squeezed Jensen’s ass to pull him closer. His hands slipped on Jensen's jeans, making him grunt and scrabble for hold, but it turned out to be enough to rock him forward a little, and just... Jesus! White light and sparks.

Once he was able to process thoughts again, Jared mumbled around Jensen’s talented mouth, and while as speech it wasn’t very effective, Jensen seemed to understand anyway and adjusted his position so that he could take hold of Jared’s ears, steering him somewhat painfully in the direction he wanted to go.

Finally pulling away from the kiss, Jared managed to get the word, ‘Bedroom?” out before succumbing once more to the bruising kisses.

When he reached the bedroom, hoping that his ears would heal eventually, Jared stumbled over to his goal and tossed Jensen down onto it, laughing a little at the litany of curse words Jensen flung at him, even as he rubbed at his poor, abused ears.

At that moment, Jared’s phone rang. Pulling it out of his pocket, Jared looked at the caller ID, turned it off and then put it back into his pocket. “Now why would Morgan call me right now? Do you suppose my phone is bugged?”

“What makes you ask me that?” Jensen had quickly made himself comfortable and lay watching Jared, and looking like at least three of the seven deadly sins.

“Dunno. You’re either the mastermind or the victim in this weird game of ‘I Spy’ I seem to have become involved with. Just trying to find out which it is.” Jared grinned. “It seemed for a moment that the FBI was trying to save you from me.”

That provoked a laugh from Jensen. “Dude, the FBI thinks I’m a soulless machine, and insane to boot. They think I’m a good profiler, so they keep me around in my little dungeon, but only so they can yank me out whenever they have some UnSub whose skin they want me to get into for them.”

“Yeah. That’s pretty much what Morgan told me...” Jared’s words were suddenly curtailed, and his eyes widened when Jensen suddenly tugged him down again. Jensen’s lips were soft and firm against his, and Jared growled, getting with the program. He’d craved this, fantasized about it since that first morning in the car with Agent Ackles, and yet it seemed that he was having trouble concentrating. He slipped an arm around Jensen’s waist, while the other hand went to unfasten Jensen’s belt and toy with the button of his silk suit pants.

The kiss didn’t end, just spun out into something seamless — Jensen licking Jared’s lips apart, Jared’s tongue finding Jensen’s teeth. He could feel Jensen’s fingers tangling in his hair, directing him, and he liked it, loved that Jensen was consuming him with little sucks and nibbles.

Jared’s nimble fingers were working on Jensen's fly as they kissed. Finally, he got Jensen's cock in his hand, skin like silk over iron, and watched Jensen's head roll back, eyes closing. His own cock pulsed, because, Christ, yes, just the sight of Jensen like that, had him leaking.

Jensen was nipping at his throat, scraping teeth down his skin as Jared rubbed the head of his cock, thumb sliding down along the length, then back to spread precome across the crown again. Jared could feel how Jensen’s dick was pulsing, spurting liquid with every twitch, and it didn't take more than Jared pressing down hard before he was coming, hips bucking into Jared's grip.

Jared kicked off his pants quickly, pushing them down impatiently before he lost it too and creamed his underwear. Grinning, he surveyed the wreckage he’d made of his new partner. Jensen looked debauched, mouth kiss-plumped and red, eyes lazily hooded as he lay recovering. Jared took a deep breath, fumbled in his pocket for the supplies he would need and shucked the rest of his own clothes as fast as he could; given the way he was trembling. “I want,” he said.

“Take,” husked Jensen, cock trying valiantly to rise again, filling sluggishly as if it hadn’t noticed he’d already come. “Been hanging around waiting for you to master me with your glorious physique for the last half an hour at least, and only now do I find out that you’re one of the polite ones.”

“Mouthy bottom!” Jared growled again. He seemed to be doing a lot of growling around Jensen. Reaching to gather Jensen’s legs at the knee, Jared rolled him up so that he had access for whatever he might choose to do.

Gonna teach you, Mr. Special Agent. Gonna make you pray.” He bent and licked a swath up from Jensen’s taint to the tip of his now sticky cock, then back down once more to pay special attention to the man’s waiting pucker.

As his tongue and lube coated fingers worked Jensen open, Jared mouthed Jensen’s balls, watching them with approval as they crinkled and drew up. Stretching Jensen out was a pleasure. Jensen rolled his head from side to side and made the most delightful little moans and sobs as Jared really got into it. By the time Jared was satisfied that Jensen would be able to take him, Jensen was uttering guttural curses.

"Come on, Jared; I'm not a fucking virgin, godfuckingdammit! We've been tip-toeing around this since we met, and now I have you in my clutches, hell if I'm letting you leave this room without fucking me blind. I want you."

“Aww, fuck! Say no more.”

In truth, Jared was so worked up himself now that he was afraid he might come before he even managed to get inside of Jensen. He took a couple of deep breaths and began reciting prime numbers as he got himself in position. He knew he was a big boy and began to tentatively butt his dick up against Jensen’s shiny, stretched entrance. Jensen, however, was having none of that, and he pulled Jared down and in, lifting and wriggling his hips to get him there faster.

“Oh, praise the lord; there is a heaven after all!”

Jared bit his lip, wondered if slapping Jensen right then would be misconstrued as foreplay and gasped as he tried valiantly to hold himself still. He really didn’t want to come right away, although it was 50/50 as to whether he could hold on. Jensen seemed to get a clue, because he was still, gazing up at Jared with wide blown eyes as if waiting for his signal.

Finally, Jared nodded, moved just a little, and they began their dance. It seemed that Jensen would come for a second time. His breath was strident as he reached to pull on himself, and he was swearing again, dirty words and phrases that became less and less coherent. Jared merely bit his lip and hung on. His body had taken over and was doing what it needed, while he hung on for the ride.

It was good. It was better than good. It was every fucking superlative Jared could think of, and some that he couldn’t quite remember, but which he’d be careful to look up in the morning, if he survived. Jensen was hot, clamped around him, his insides sucking on him as if trying to devour him whole, and Jared drove home deeper and deeper, feeling it all build, lava flow just barely held back by will power he didn’t even know he possessed.

Jensen came. Jared could feel it, couldn’t stop it, and then it was happening to him as well, every cliché ever written about sex, only this was real, and here and now. His body seized, face frozen in a rictus of pleasure as he shuddered through the orgasm he’d been trying to hold back.

It seemed to go on for an impossibly long time, and at the end he collapsed, limp as a noodle, onto Jensen’s chest.

Remembering how to breathe took him a few minutes, until it finally occurred to him that he should do the gentlemanly thing and roll off to let Jensen find some oxygen too. Jensen merely grunted, closed his eyes and began snoring quietly, sticky and sweaty as he was.

Sighing, Jared disengaged himself and went to look for washcloths and towels.

Returning after washing himself down, he began to clean his partner up, and Jensen scowled, opened one eye and said in a voice that was deep and shredded, “Sleep now. Tomorrow we’re gonna talk.”

“Yeah.” Jared threw cloth and towel without bothering to aim for anything. “We’ll talk.” He climbed into the bed beside Jensen and groaned as the blood flow to his muscles seemed to start up again.

“And plan,” said Jensen, softly. “Wanna know what those bastards are doing.”

“Tomorrow,” murmured Jared, wondering which particular set of bastards Jensen was referring to.

“Yeah. Tomorrow.”

  
.  
  
.  


Jared woke a few minutes before his alarm went off and hopped out of bed leaving Jensen sprawled out on his stomach, dead to the word. He stood by the bed, gazing down at his new lover, admiring the curl of his lashes, the beautifully molded lips and firm chin, then, remembering the morning before, he went off to find the kitchen and put the coffee on.   
  
Returning to the bed bearing a couple of mugs of Ackles-reviver, Jared placed them carefully on the nightstand and slipped back under the covers. Jensen grumbled in his sleep and rolled over to turn his back to Jared, and that made Jared grin, then put his icy feet on Jensen’s thigh.   
  
“Godfuckindammit!” Jensen came awake in an instant, and sat bolt upright as Jared fell back against the pillows, laughing. Swiftly reaching for the coffee he’d brought in for Jensen, he held it out.   
  
“Sorry, man.” Jared’s face belied his apology, and as Jensen’s expression began to darken, he raised his hands in a placatory manner. “Whoa, truce! I call truce?”   
  
“Asshole,” growled Jensen, but there was the glimmer of a smile if Jared looked closely, and Jensen accepted his mug of corpse reviver with a grateful sigh, taking a sip straight away with a satisfied sigh.   
  
“How the hell do you drink that when it’s still boiling hot?” Jared reached for his own mug as he spoke, contenting himself with blowing on it to cool it down.   
  
”Mind over matter!” Jensen took another sip and smirked. ”I guess we`re going to have to get to the paperwork today,” he said. ”Can't wait to see old man Morgan's face when he reads the report. Good thing I have you to corroborate. He's gonna have an apoplexy.”   
  
Jared shot him an amused look, but it vanished very swiftly as he remembered seeing the ghost hovering over Jensen, brandishing her wicked looking knife. ”Wouldn`t Alona corroborate?" he asked, frowning.   
  
"I..." Jensen looked as if he was about to say something, but he suddenly choked, then closed his lips and returned to working on his coffee. Jared frowned and was about to ask about it again, when his phone rang. Checking to see who was calling, he sighed heavily.   
  
"Morgan again. Guess I have to let him grill me," he said and accepted the call.   
  
"Padalecki," he said as he raised the phone to his mouth.   
  
"Report!" The gravelly voice of the Assistant Director was loud enough to make Jensen set his mug down and turn his head, a quizzical eyebrow raised.   
  
"Okay." Jared grinned. "We were just talking about the report from yesterday..."   
  
"We? What do you mean, 'we'?" Morgan sounded a little rattled, the normally confident delivery hesitant for a moment.   
  
"Well, my instructions were to get to know Special Agent Ackles, and I always do what I'm told!" Jared's dimple popped for a moment, and Jensen took advantage of the moment to roll him over onto his back and poke his tongue into the ear closest to him. Grabbing the phone from Jared, he put it to his own ear.   
  
"Good morning, Assistant Director. We'll be submitting our report later this morning," he murmured, and snickered as the phone went dead.

  
.  
  
.  


They took their time getting themselves ready for the office. Much to Jared's surprise, Jensen seemed content to go with the flow rather than hurrying to get to the office. He didn’t rush as he dressed himself, and then went with Jared to get him a change of clothing too, before the pair of them headed to the office.

They were on their way down the stairs to the small space where Jensen kept his paperwork, when the fire alarm went off.

"It'll be a drill. They do it from time to time," murmured Jensen, continuing down the concrete steps.

"No." Jared sniffed the air. "There's smoke somewhere. I can smell it." He tugged on Jensen's arm. "Come on. We need to get out of the building."

Below, they heard the fire door open, then slam, and seconds later Chad Lindberg came pounding up to collide with them, shedding small items of electronica as he ran.

"Ackles, your office is on fire. What the hell have you got in there? Cans of gasoline? Your door's pretty much melted!" Lindberg looked very pale. "The corridor's a no-go area. The sprinklers are playing merry hell with my lab, and I bet there won't be anything to salvage once the fire's been put out."

As one, the three of them ran back up the stairs, following the emergency exit signs and out into the parking lot.

Outside, there was chaos. Fire trucks and emergency services were arriving and people were milling around, looking for places to muster. Finally, a woman with a whistle appeared to take charge, and shortly after that she was joined by Assistant Director Morgan, who was wearing the kind of facial expression that promised trouble for somebody.

People began to form lines, and the roll call of all those that had signed in was begun. Most people drifted away once their names had been verified, but Chad stayed with the two of them, apparently happy to hang around without anywhere particular to be.

The woman finally called out their names, and as she did so, Morgan descended on them with a face that boded ill for the pair of them. "Don't you dare go anywhere, either of you," he growled. For a moment, Jared wasn't sure that he wouldn't grab their collars like naughty children.

The roll call was done. Everyone appeared to be accounted for, and Assistant Director Morgan beckoned for the woman to join them. "Gentlemen," he said. "This is Assistant Director Amber Benson, and she has questions to ask you, as have I."

"As has the Director himself." Benson regarded the two of them with apparent distaste. "He doesn't particularly appreciate being kept waiting, so seeing as you've decided on second careers as fire starters, we're going to have to go over to the Annex for now. Follow me."

She was turning to go, when Lindberg suddenly called out, "Wait."

Her expression was icy as she turned back to look at him. "And you are...?" she asked.

"Chief Technical Officer Lindberg at your service," responded Chad. "But I want to assure you that Ackles and Padalecki didn't set the building on fire. They weren't even there when the fire started."

For a moment AD Benson looked as if she'd swallowed something extremely nasty, but as she stared at Chad, she appeared to make a decision. "You'd better come too," she said. "I think Director Worthy will have a use for you." With that, she turned back to lead them across the street to the old building.

The Annex was mainly used for storage, and on a weekend was generally deserted. AD Benson led them to a room that had been fitted out as a meeting room and held the door open for the four of them to troop through. As they entered the somewhat dimly lit space, Morgan turned to Benson. "Surely I'm no longer needed for this."

"On the contrary, Jeff. I really I don't think we can manage without you." She smiled, and there was something in that smile that made Jared, who was watching closely, feel a sense of creeping unease.

He bent closer to Jensen, so he could whisper, "I have a bad feeling about this. I really think we should leave, right now." Even as he was speaking, a door at the far end of the room opened, and a tall, immaculately dressed black man entered. There was a moment of confusion amongst the four of them. He heard Morgan draw in his breath sharply and whisper, "Worthy!" and then the newcomer's eyes began to glow. Jared saw Jensen suddenly stiffen and he appeared to go into what to all intents and purposes looked like a trance.

A furtive look around him showed that Benson had left the room and that his companions, Jensen, Chad and even Assistant Director Morgan were in the same trance-like state. Thinking quickly, Jared drew himself up and attempted to present a similar face to this unknown newcomer that Benson had called the Director. He remained stationary as the Director slowly approached him.

"Excellent. It seems that General Olsson has already brought you into the fold." Slowly moving away, he peered at the line-up, inspecting them carefully, his melodious voice dropping as he spoke to each of the others in turn. Jared listened, trying to make sense of what was happening, not quite sure if he was hallucinating.

"Morgan, it's time to start spreading our wings a little. I think our next step will be to share with government. I believe you're going to be meeting with Ferris next week? You and Amber will turn her for me, won't you?" The silky voice was eerily compelling, and Jared felt somehow lost that it wasn't addressing him, almost as if it were being withheld from him as a punishment.

"Lindberg, you will go with Ackles and Padalecki out to Quantico. Special Agent Ackles has so far refused to bring the BAU under our control, but that must come to an end now. Amber will give you the wave intensifier when you leave here today. You just have to install it and all will be as we need it." Jared could see Chad nod out of the corner of his eye. "I will be very pleased with you, very pleased indeed."

"And you, Ackles, my reluctant assistant. You will return to Quantico, to the BAU. Your little rat hole is gone and you can no longer avoid your task. Go and deliver the BAU to me." Jensen swayed a little, and Jared could feel minute tremors running through his arm where they were pressed together, but finally Jensen nodded. Then it was Jared’s turn.

"Padalecki, I wonder if I should taste you now, or wait. General Olsson deserves you, of course, but your blood would be very sweet..." The man paused, and Jared saw a second row of teeth descend from behind his upper lip. "No. I will follow the plan, but once it's complete, and he’s had his fill of you, I will ask for you. You will be a prize worth the taking." The teeth receded, and Jared felt light headed, wondering what he'd just seen. "You will go with Ackles and when the time comes you will bring the whole of Quantico to me. We will have the country under our control before anyone is the wiser."

The director stepped away and walked back towards the door through which he had first arrived. "In ten minutes you will come to, believing that you have been reprimanded. You will all proceed as I have instructed, and go about your assigned tasks."

With that, he was gone.

  
.  
  
.  


"Jensen? Jensen!" Jared was moving immediately, shaking his partner in an attempt to break him free from whatever compulsion he was under. Ten minutes, the vampire had said. That wasn't good. They needed to get going immediately and not hang around doing this creature's bidding. "Come on, Jensen. You know time is tight."

Jensen shuddered and then staggered to lean against the wall behind him. "Jared, what?"

"You've got to come out of this, Jensen. You've been brainwashed, hypnotized. I don't know what else." Jensen gazed at him in confusion, and Jared sighed. "Fuck it! Come on. There's no time." He grabbed the still staggering Jensen and threw him over one brawny shoulder, then headed out towards the front of the building.

  
  


Jensen still seemed to be in some kind of trance as Jared reached his car, so he tossed the confused agent into the back seat and pulled the car away, trying his best to look as though he was sedately going about his business rather than escaping in a panic. Several miles over the border into Maryland, he stopped the car to sweep it for bugs, finding another two besides the one he'd put there himself. Then he pointed the Impala to Bethesda and the Walter Reed Military Army Medical Center. Once they reached Bethesda, he checked them into the Travelodge. He led Jensen, who by now was coming out of his fugue state, into the room and picked up the phone, then thought better of it and took his own phone and Jensen's with him outside to lock them in his car.

Returning to the room, where Jensen was apparently back to his normal self, he swept the room for bugs before calling a person he hadn't spoken to for well over a year.

"US Army Intelligence and Security. How may I direct your call?"

"Let me speak to Lt. Col. Collins, please." Jared frowned. The last time he'd spoken to Collins he'd been in a debriefing session and totally incapable of speaking anything but the truth. Collins was the only person he could think of that would be able to help with the current situation.

There was a long pause, so long that Jared wondered if he should hang up and try to go see the man in person. When the phone finally crackled, and the voice announced that he'd reached Collins, it made him jump.

"Uh, hello," he said. "You may not remember me, but my name is Jared Padalecki, and I have information about national security that you need to hear."

"Of course I remember you." There was a smile in the voice that made Jared hope that he'd be able to enlist the man's help. If even the Lieutenant Colonel was already compromised they were in for a world of hurt.

"Can we meet?" Jared asked. "I promise you that there are good reasons why I'm not going through normal channels." Jared wasn't expecting the man at the other end of the line to hang up, and when exactly that happened, he let out a very inventive curse and slammed the phone back into its cradle.

"You do know that all the calls into government facilities are recorded, I hope." Jensen's voice floated up to him from the direction of the couch, where the agent had flung himself, and where he now reclined in an elegant sprawl, idly flicking through the saved searches on Jared's laptop. "Hey, thought your tame geek told you to quit downloading porn!"

"Hey..." Jared was about to blast him, when the phone shrilled. Picking it up with a frown, he heard the reception clerk, who announced that they had a visitor awaiting them in the office. He beckoned for Jensen to get up. "There's someone that wants to see us at the reception."

Jumping to his feet, Jensen headed for the door, and Jared followed. "Are you armed?" Jensen flashed his shoulder holster and raised one eyebrow in inquiry. Jared flashed a grin and reached to the back of his pants, briefly displaying a very capable looking Glock before replacing it behind him once again.

The two of them made their way back to the office and came face to face with a man dressed in camouflage, who rose to his feet to greet them. "Padalecki?" he asked, looking a little uncertain as he faced Jared.

"Yeah, I grew my hair a little since I last saw you." Jared grinned as he extended his hand to the newcomer. "Thank you for coming by. Can we go somewhere a little more private, please? There's a lot to tell you." The newcomer simply gestured for him to take the lead and then fell into step alongside Jensen as they returned to their room.

Back inside the room, Jared began to relate what he'd witnessed with Director Worthy. Collins frowned as he listened, saying nothing, merely nodding occasionally. "Doc, it's well known that Jensen was working on some top-secret project for the feds, and that he and his partner suddenly left that program at the end of 2016, and now neither of them can even talk about it. From what I saw back in DC, he's been seriously brainwashed, and he's not the only one. The vamp had an associate, I think her name is Benson, and he spoke about General Olsson too, as if he's one of them. It seems like they got AD Morgan too. I don't pretend to know what's going on here, but I'm pretty sure that it ain't good, and that it's possible that Jensen here is the key to fixing it. Can you un-brainwash him? I read your paper on hypnosis and deconditioning. That's why I brought him here."

Dr. Collins was still frowning. After what seemed like forever, he sat forward, eyes assessing Jensen, whose eyes had glazed over, and who had taken no part in the conversation. "It does seem as if we need to give it a try, doesn't it? You said he had a partner. Where is the partner now?"

"She's at Quantico. She's one of the pathologists there now." Jared nodded. "Oh, and there's Chad. He's a buddy of mine. He runs the tech lab at the Bureau. He was under the influence too. He's supposed to take some gadget to Quantico that will enhance whatever Jensen's supposed to do."

Collins rose to his feet and rubbed his hands together. "Well, it sounds as if we don't have a lot of time to lose. Let's go unscramble your partner's brains and raise him from perdition, shall we?"

  
.  
  
.  


Dr. Collins's lab was a lot smaller than Jared had expected, and there were no chairs with straps and flashing lights that he could see. At Collins's instruction, a strangely subdued Special Agent Ackles lay down on an examining table and submitted to the brief tests that had the doctor frowning as he made notes.   
  
"Okay, Jensen," he said at last. "I'm going to get you ready by using a little narcosynthesis. You're fit enough that there won't be any lasting effects, but I want you to know that it's a first stage and that it wears off relatively quickly. Will you permit it?"   
  
Jensen nodded and the doctor swiftly prepared a syringe full of a colorless liquid, which he injected into Jensen's arm. As Jensen closed his eyes, the doctor turned to Jared. "This is a concoction called SP-117. It was developed by the Russians, and so far I have found it very effective indeed. However, it really needs utter silence and freedom from distractions, so I would count it as a favor if you could go fetch Jensen's ex-partner from Quantico in the meantime. Maybe fetch your techie friend too."   
  
Jared was at first reluctant, but finally agreed. It did make sense that Alona would need similar treatment too. Chad, he thought, would probably be less under the influence, although of course Jared couldn't be sure. The one thing he did know was that Jensen was about to be deprogrammed, and there was nothing he could do.   
  
Sighing, he nodded his head, acquiescing to his dismissal and made his way back out to where his car stood ready.

  
.  
  
.  


  
The 42 mile drive to Quantico was pleasant enough, if he'd cared enough to look. The winter had hung on long past its usual exit, and the leaves were only now beginning to unfold. The grass was newly green despite the still present chill in the air, and all around he could see signs that spring was slowly pulling itself out into the pale sunlight.

As I-95 unrolled towards his destination, he agonized about what Jensen was undergoing and prayed that the hospital had yet to be infiltrated by the sinister menace headed up by Director Richard Worthy.

There was woodland concealing the huge endeavor that was Quantico, and as Jared headed towards the lab building where he and Jensen had found Alona the last time, he reflected that anything could be going on there, concealed from the public gaze as it was.

Diving into the building and following his earlier path towards the lab where Alona had been the first time he’d met her. Alona wasn't actually elbow-deep in entrails this time. He found her seated behind a large desk, and in direct contrast to the one that had been in Jensen's office, it was almost paper free. She was typing a report into her laptop, and looked up with a smile when Jared knocked on the door jamb.

"Jared?" She rose to her feet and came over to give him a hug. "How nice to see you."

"Hey, Alona." Jared patted her shoulder, took a deep breath and just blurted, “Jensen's in Walter Reed. He wants to see you."

She froze. "He's what? Oh, my God!" Her face fell. "Is he badly hurt?"

"I don't know anything much yet. When I last saw him, he was with the doctor."

She raised her eyes to his, golden brown and swimming with unshed tears. Walking back to her desk, she picked up the phone and dialed. "Good afternoon, Assistant Director. I'm sorry, but I won't be able to make our meeting this afternoon. I... I've just heard some terrible news." Gathering up her purse and jacket, she made for the door of her office. Squaring his shoulders, Jared turned to follow her. They were almost at the main door when a shout of "Agent Tal," made Alona turn around.

"Assistant Director Brown?"

"Agent Tal, I didn't give you permission to leave the facility." There was something sinister about the way the newcomer's voice sent shivers down Jared's spine. He had an uneasy feeling that was confirmed when Alona seemed to stiffen and her eyes glazed over.

The man Alona had greeted as AD Brown turned to look Jared up and down, and a broad grin lit up his face. "Well, well. CSO Padalecki, as I live and breathe."

"You know me?" Jared returned the smile, his hackles rising as the other man snickered. "Wish I could say the same for you, but I'm afraid I haven't been reading Who's Who lately."

"Assistant Director Sterling K. Brown." Brown moved to him and offered his hand, smile still firmly in place. At Jared's side, Alona remained motionless and silent. "The director told me you'd be along." His eyes began to glow and Jared wondered if he was beginning to go nuts or if the whole world had suddenly been overrun with vampires.

"You will forget you were here, return to your vehicle and go back to DC." The voice oozed over him, oily and menacing and Jared remained quiet, wondering why it just wasn't having the same effect on him that it had on Alona, Jensen, and the others. As Brown turned his attention to Alona, Jared turned and walked out of the door, and as soon as he was clear he ran to his car.

Guns were useless against vampires. He'd read Dracula, and he knew. Opening the trunk of his car, he studied the contents. He didn't have any stakes to drive through the vampire's heart, so he selected a shiny, sharp katana from the weapons he had there and turned to run back to the building again.

As he burst through the doors, he saw Brown and Alona walking further down the corridor. He was heard as soon as he threw the doors open, and Brown turned to face him. There was no smile on his face this time. His eyes glowed and his second set of teeth descended.

"STOP right there."

Jared didn't even slow down. He reached the two of them and slashed at Brown, even as the creature he now knew to be a vampire seemed to grow in size. His desperate katana strike seemed to Jared to last forever. It sliced off the hand that Brown raised to protect himself and continued to move, severing his head from his body. As Brown fell to the polished floor, Alona crumpled and fell too as if her strings had been cut. Wiping the katana on Brown's shirt, Jared picked Alona up and slung her over his shoulder before turning to exit the building as fast as he could.

  
.  
  
.  


Alona was still out for the count when Jared settled her in the back of the Impala and burned rubber back out onto the highway. Once he'd put a few miles behind them he picked up his phone and called Chad Lindberg.

"Yo, Paddywhack. What's happening?" Chad's voice was just as jaunty as ever. Jared greeted him with a certain amount of relief.

"Where are you, man?"

Just on my way back from Quantico," was the reply. "Dude, I just scored some of the sweetest..."

"Sorry to interrupt, but this is important. Can I get you to come out to Walter Reed?" He thought quickly. He needed a ruse to get Chad to Dr. Collins. “Bring a… ummm … damper with you?" He had no idea what a damper was, but if it was big enough, maybe he could hit a vampire with it or something."

"A field suppressor? Like that?"

"Yeah, that." Jared heaved a sigh of relief. Apparently, Chad knew what a damper was; it was something he could supply. "Bring that weed with you if you like."

"Now you're talking, Jay-man! Will do." Jared quickly explained where to bring it and said his goodbyes, then, relieved; he hit the end call button and concentrated on getting back to the hospital as fast as traffic would let him.

Alona seemed out of it still when they pulled up back at the hospital. She wouldn't meet Jared's eyes and whimpered when he pulled her out of the car but seemed to go willingly as he began to lead her to Misha's office. Neither he nor Jensen were anywhere to be seen as they arrived, so Jared pressed her into a chair and went to find a bottle of water for her.

He returned to find her chatting with Lindberg, who had a leather case with him containing whatever it was Jared had ordered. Alona greeted him as if she hadn't seen him for days, and Jared blinked in surprise, but allowed that to stand. Nothing about this whole thing made sense.

The three of them gossiped about inconsequential things for a brief while, and it wasn't long before Dr. Collins came out of his examination room to join them. At Jared's unspoken inquiry, he gave a grin. "He's in recovery, sleeping it off. He'll be fine very shortly. Who's my next lucky contestant?"

That was Jared's cue. "Alona, may I introduce you to Lt. Col. Collins. He's a fantastic doctor, and he asked me to introduce you to him. It's necessary to help Jensen, so I'd be really grateful if you could go with him and answer his questio..."

Chad Lindberg had leapt to his feet. I know what you're doing," he yelled. "You know this isn't what was required of you! The Alpha told you..." His teeth descended and his eyes began to glow red. Misha gaped, and Alona spaced out once again.

"Oh, no, Chad. Not you." Jared felt as if the earth had dropped away from under his feet. "Can you think for a minute, man? You don't want to hurt your old mate, do you?"

Chad's response was to snarl and leap at him, and Jared narrowly sidestepped him, pivoting to club him at the base of his skull as he went flying past. Chad bit the dust, and lay prone, unconscious at least for the moment. Collins crossed to the door of his office and returned with a handful of zip ties. Between the two of them they immobilized Chad at wrists, knees and ankles, and then turned back to Alona, who was sitting, frozen all over again, staring into space.

"She's a long way further under than Agent Ackles," said the doctor after shining a light into her pupils. "That'll make things a lot easier. She seems to have been much more susceptible to his hypnosis than Ackles. Would you mind giving me a hand to get her into my treatment room, please?"

Wordlessly, Jared bent and picked Alona up and then followed Collins into the same room where he'd last seen Jensen. He lay Alona down on the examination table and turned to Dr. Collins.

"Did it work with Jensen? Is he going to be over whatever conditioning he had going on?"

There was a brief pause as Dr. Collins prepared a hypodermic and moved over to remove Alona's jacket so he could administer the shot. Then, finally he met Jared's eyes. "CSO Padalecki, let me assure you that the kind of work I had to do to clean out Jensen's psyche is the reason he's been sleeping these past hours. He's actually very resistant to suggestion, and equally resistant to de-programming. Alona here is going to take far less time to set straight." He grinned. "You might like to go check on him. He's just across the hallway, and if my calculations are correct he should be coming to around about now."

"Is he going to have a headache or anything?" Jared was still a little uneasy about the state Jensen might be in when he woke up.

"Unless I've missed my guess, he should be feeling like he just had the best sleep of his life." Collins snickered. "So go check on him and let me get on with this poor woman before she ends up with PTSD for life."

It was with great trepidation that Jared pushed open the door to the room where Jensen had been taken to recover from his ordeal. He wasn't sure what he would find there, despite Dr. Collins's reassurances, but it wasn't Jensen jumping on him as he went through the door.

He startled as 185 pounds of Special Agent Jensen Ackles carried him backwards against the wall and proceeded to kiss him senseless. It didn't take him long to get into the spirit of the thing, and pretty soon he was giving as good as he was getting, body taut against Jensen's as they made out.

They were both breathless when they finally pulled apart, the pair of them grinning as they looked at each other.

"I was going to ask you how you were feeling, but I guess that answered my question right there." Jared couldn't stop the smile from blooming on his face. He was hard, and he could see that Jensen was in a similar state. "How about your memory? Do you remember what's been affecting you now?"

The smile disappeared from Jensen's face. "Yeah. I remember." He cleared his throat. "Jay, I don't know how we can beat this. I've been reviewing things over and over in my head, and I think it might be too late. I think they might have won."

"Don't say that." Jared was still smiling softly. “You're not on your own any more. You've got me, and Alona's going to be back to normal pretty soon. Then there's the doc. I told him about everything as far as I knew it. He's got contacts, just because of who he is. Not only that, but he was able to break through your programming in just a couple of hours." He put his arm around Jensen and moved them both to where there were a couple of plastic chairs, pressing Jensen down into one of them and dropping down to crouch beside him, gazing up at him with hope in his eyes.

"Don't you see, it's no use? Your pal, Lindberg was going to take an amp — a thought enhancer — over to Quantico to the BAU, and then Sterling Brown will be able to turn them. It might have been easier if I'd been there, but he'll have no problem. He's one of the strongest. Once they're all suborned, they'll pick out the people who are most likely to help get the others under control, because that's what the BAU does. The rest they'll keep for food." Jensen shrugged. "That's why I left the BAU. I did my best to keep them safe."

"If it's Brown you're worried about," said Jared. "You don't have to fret about him anymore. He's dead."

"Huh? When? How do you know?"

"I know, because I killed him." Jared's voice was matter of fact, and Jensen raised his eyebrows in shock.

"I suppose you had a wooden stake handy in that big bus of yours?"

"Nope." Jared chuckled. "But I did have a katana."

"Huh?" said Jensen again. He seemed to be thinking of what to say, but at that moment, the door opened and the doctor came in, followed by a smiling Alona.

"She followed me home. Can I keep her?" The doctor was apparently in high good humor, and Alona had evidently responded to his treatment very swiftly. Once the greetings and hugs had been exchanged and both Alona and Jensen had expressed their heartfelt thanks to Dr. 'call me Misha' Collins, they sat down to discuss how to start resolving the problems they faced.

Jensen had put in a call to the man who was currently heading up the BAU, and as they sat discussing their way forward. It wasn't long before Steven Williams, clinical psychologist and profiler, arrived at Misha's department.

Their first order of business was to find out what Chad knew, and Misha swiftly volunteered to de-program the poor, hapless vampire.

It wasn't pretty. Jared chose to stay with his friend to give him whatever comfort he could during the process. The others elected to remain outside in the waiting room

  
.  
  
.  


After a while, it seemed as if the screams became too much for Alona. She looked more and more distressed. She finally announced her intention of going to find a fast food place so everyone could have a bite to eat. As she left, Steven, the newcomer, raised his eyebrows. "Is she really okay again? Can we trust her not to go and bring a horde of vamps back to take us out?"

Jensen shrugged. "To be honest, I don't think that there are hordes of them yet. I think they've been biding their time until Worthy was situated in the prime position. It's not been that long since he was appointed Director. He's been working from the top down, I suspect."

Frowning, he continued, "I think Chad was only turned because he followed us into the building when Benson had us lined up to receive our instructions. He can't have been turned for very long. He was way too impulsive just now when he showed his fangs." Jensen had only met the technician for the first time the day Jared had to go collect his laptop, but he'd already pegged the guy as a quirky, easy-going guy who'd rather kick back with a joint than get embroiled in a plan for world domination.

"I feel bad for the man." Steven winced as another scream filled the air. "He's been dealt a worse hand than any of us."

"Yeah, and he's Jared's friend. Jared was so happy when he found out Lindberg was also at the Bureau. Not only that, but without his help I'd have been toast a couple of weeks ago. He and Jared between them made sure I actually lived to tell the tale."

Steven frowned. "You're kidding. I thought you were made of Teflon. What the hell happened?"

Jensen was about to start relating what had happened to him, when Alona reappeared bearing a bag full of burgers, fries and burgers and a cardboard tray with sodas and coffee. As if summoned by magic, Jared emerged from the treatment room, followed by the doctor, and before long, the food was a memory.

"How's Chad?" Jensen eyed Jared, who had been really quiet throughout the impromptu meal, and who still looked a little distressed. Jared turned his gaze onto Collins, who nodded.

"That's a good question. I've never de-programmed a newly turned vampire before, and I feel as though I'm walking in the dark with blinders on. He's devastated. I gave him something to help him relax, and he's sleeping at the moment. He's going to wake up hungry though, and…” Misha looked back at Jared. "Did you know he was a vegetarian?"

It took a moment or two for that to sink in for Jared, and then he gasped. "Oh, God! Does he have to drink blood? That's going to kill him."

"He does right now, but I've already got a colleague working on a dietary supplement that will contain the correct ingredients to provide him with the nutrition required for his new state." Misha spread his hands as if to say _what can you do?_ “He just had a pint of O negative, and that should last him for a short while — at least until we can get him set up with some kind of blood substitute. I do think he's willing to help us, as much out of vengeance as anything. He wants to take down the folk he believes have ruined his life."

"So what have we got?" Williams looked angry, and the others all sat forward in agreement that they needed to plan. "Did this guy give you anything useful?"

"Oh, yeah," said Jared. "I've been thinking about that, and this is what I've come up with."

  
.  
  
.  


The spring afternoon was beginning to turn to dusk when the small group piled into Jared's car and headed out onto the freeway and back towards Quantico. Chad was with them, carrying a device in a backpack on his back that had wires running from it to his temples, where they were taped.

They needed to find a sizable number of weapons to add to Jared's swords, and Chad, who without the thought damper he was currently wearing, would find himself in telepathic contact with the other vampires (not to mention under their control, should they find out that he'd been broken free of their programming) was telling them just what would kill vampires.

"Guns won't do it," he mumbled. "Jayman here hit on the right way to put them down. You have to take their head off. That's the best way."

"You mean there are other ways to kill them?" Steven peered at him as if he was attempting to drill into his skull to pull out whatever info might be buried in there.

"Oh, well, there's always fire." Chad shuddered a little, but his expression was feral. "They'll burn pretty well, so I guess there's always napalm."

Blinking, the psychologist turned away with a shiver to ask where they were heading.

"We're going over to Fort Belvoir for suitable weaponry." Misha was squished into the back seat with Alona sitting on his lap. "And hopefully for clothing a little more suitable for the ones of us that need it."

Alona chuckled. "I've put my name down for a tin helmet with leaves in it."

"I was thinking more of Kevlar and boots, but if that's what turns you on, I'm sure we can find something." Misha shifted a little under her weight. "Woman, for someone so small, you weigh a ton," he grumbled.

It was full dark by the time they had been passed into the base and kitted out with the necessary camo and Kevlar. Misha had called in a couple of favors, and when that had not proven enough, Jared called Colonel Beaver, who had stumbled out of bed in a foul mood. Upon being told that his protégé was pursuing the resolution to his assignment and would deliver a full report the following morning, he had given orders that they be given assistance, and they were now riding in an army vehicle that actually allowed all of them space to sit.

Worthy and his cohorts had established their nest at the Marine Barracks, in the Commandant's house, and Jared was horrified at that. He wondered if the Commandant himself had been turned, and assumed that it would be good strategy on the part of the vampires to make him one of them.

"We can't burn the house down," he hissed as Chad pulled a flamethrower out of his trunk. "It's a national monument."

"People depend too much on material things to feel important," said Chad, loftily, but he took a machete as well as his flame thrower. "The main thing is to take the bastards down."

Their plan of attack had been hastily thrown together by Ackles and Williams, who were to take point, while the others covered the exits. Jensen bent to pick the lock on the main entrance, and Chad busied himself making sure that the alarm was turned off.

Once the door was open, the two of them stalked inside and over to the grand staircase. "I'm guessing that they'll be sleeping," murmured Jensen, turning back to where Williams was standing.

"You bet they are." Steven's eyes suddenly glowed, and Jensen froze. "And in a minute, you won't give a damn where they are."

"Oh, Hell, no, Steven. They got you too?" Jensen opened his mouth to yell, but at that moment, he found himself seized in a grip of steel, his mouth was clamped shut, and his head was forced to the side to bare his neck.

Williams's teeth dug into his neck, and Jensen could feel blood welling to trickle down his neck and into the dark fabric of the jacket he was wearing. The vampire laughed softly. "I knew they should have turned you right at the start. I said you were way too dang—"

He was suddenly released, and Jensen turned to find Chad Lindberg a few feet away, wiping his machete with the sleeve of Williams's jacket. The psychologist lay on the parquet, his head completely separated from his body. Jensen stood looking at the body in horror, then turned to look at Chad, seeing him in a whole new light.

"Let's get it done, dude. Show me what you're made of." Lindberg stalked past him and up the stair. After a minute, Jensen phoned Jared and called for the rest of them to come in, then, biting his lip, Jensen followed Chad up, feeling somewhat sheepish.

Morgan was the first. Jensen took off his head without regret as he slept, then moved to the next bedroom and did the same thing to AD Amber Benson. The group convened on the landing once they'd been along the entire corridor, and Jared was the first of them to speak. "Any of you take out Worthy?"

One by one they shook their heads, and it seemed that none of them had found what Jensen thought of as the Alpha vampire.

"I'm pretty sure that there's another bedroom." Misha seemed deep in thought. "I was here once before, and there was a separate set of rooms down that way." He was turning to go in the direction he believed held another set of rooms, when there was a muffled scream from behind. Jensen whirled around, his machete raised, to see Alona sagging in Worthy's arms, her throat bloody and her eyes blank.

"Alona! No!" Jensen had been following Collins, but he turned to see his erstwhile partner being held as a human shield. "Let her go!" He ran towards them, swinging his machete, but came to a halt when he couldn't see how to reach Worthy without going through Alona.

A flicker of movement in a doorway just behind the pair caught Jensen's eye, and he did his best to ignore it as Chad Lindberg was revealed, edging towards the vampire and his hostage. He'd raised his machete, waiting to get a good strike in, but Worthy had either heard something or seen Jensen's eyes slide past him to focus on his would-be assailant. Worthy's eyes glowed, and he lapped at the blood on Alona's neck, and then threw her into Jensen, knocking him over to land on his ass.

  
.  
  
.  


Chad Lindberg was frail looking, but Jared had been with him on many a mission, and knew his wiry strength. As Worthy stalked towards him, Jared watched Lindberg toss his machete to one side and raise his flamethrower.

"You're done," he said, "and good riddance." The flamethrower spat fire, and Worthy shrieked as he burned. He was still shrieking as Jared stepped forward, swinging his katana to put him out of his misery. The sprinkler system kicked in at that point, and the group, all of them covered in blood from head to toe, turned as one to head down the stairs, and leave before the fire department turned up to discover the horrors that lay within the burning house. As they piled into the Humvee, Jared thanked any deity that might be listening for the fact that it wasn't his beloved car that was going to be soaked in blood.

The mood as they made their way back to Fort Belvoir was introspective. There was no rejoicing. Each of them felt themselves changed by their experiences over the last few days, and there was silence until finally Alona broke it by saying, "I really hope they'll let me get a shower before they throw us out."  
  
"Seconded," murmured Lindberg. "Also, somewhere to sleep."

"I think you need to come back to the hospital with me, man," said Misha. "Let's not forget your...ah... dietary requirements."

"I just want to sleep," said Jensen. "Shower would be good, but I think I'm done with the whole world domination plot for now, and much as I love you all, I'll be happy to wait for another day to meet you all again. If there's no bed for me, just lick my lips and stick me to the window somewhere. I'm done."

Colonel Beaver was waiting for them as they pulled up at the barracks. They were shown to rooms and allowed to shower, then, dressed in sweats, the five survivors were interviewed about their excursion and each dismissed to spend the night, with the promise of further debriefing in the morning.

Jensen, clean but exhausted, fell into bed and closed his eyes, only to be disturbed as a 200 pound commando fell onto him with a battle cry of "Gotcha!" There was little enough room in the small bed, but somehow they made it work. Jared prodded Jensen until he rose to his feet and they both hauled the mattress on the floor.

As Jared was falling asleep, he whispered, "They told me you were a flake, but for me, you're my ideal man. Gonna keep me?"

"I am a flake. Better get used to it, soldier boy, and just try to get away from me. It won’t be pretty!"

There were kisses exchanged, but the pair of them were both at the end of their energy, and before too long, snores echoed through the room. Comfortable at last in each other’s arms, they left thoughts of tomorrow behind as they dreamed of the future together.

  
.  
  
.  


The morning came far too early for Jared’s liking. One minute he was lying cocooned in Jensen’s arms, and the next, some idiot with a bugle was standing right outside the door, blowing Reveille. He could have sworn that, at the conclusion of the dreadful noise there were giggles as the perpetrator high-tailed it out of there.

Way back when they had first met, Jared had thought that Jensen was an early riser. How wrong he had been! Following the bugle solo, Jensen, much to Jared’s amusement, merely opened one eye and then turned to burrow down into the covers again. Sighing, Jared hauled himself off the mattress, pulled on the sweats he’d been issued, and padded off to find sustenance.

It has been said that an army marches on its stomach, but if that were actually so, the cooks at Fort Belvoir hadn’t read the memo. Jared, who really loved his food, and especially breakfast, found the catering sadly lacking. At least there was bacon, so there was that, but Jared would have liked a more substantial meal.

Folding a few slices of the bacon between two slices of toast, he left the mess hall and went to find the gym, empty save for a single guy pedaling away on one of the ellipticals. Setting his makeshift sandwich to one side, he sorted out a couple of wooden poles from the stock of assorted training materials and moved smoothly into one of his _katas_ , twirling and bending, leaping and stretching as he lost himself in the ancient ritual.

When he finally paused and went to replace his props, he was startled to hear applause coming from the door of the gym. Looking up, he caught sight of Colonel Beaver, who beckoned him over.

“Impressive display, Padalecki.” The Colonel said as Jared headed towards him. "Sorry to stop you, but General Olsson himself has arrived, and he's anxious to debrief you himself. Agent Ackles is with him now, so if I could..." He stopped speaking and gaped as Jared felt himself turn pale.

"Did you say Olsson?” Jared's voice sounded harsh, even to himself. He closed his eyes for a moment while he dredged up the memory that was nagging at the back of his mind.

_Amber eyes caught and held his own as he stood in line, and the deep, silky voice purred, "Excellent. It seems that General Olsson has already brought you into the fold."_

"No! God, no!" Jared took off running, barreling past the Colonel as he raced, for the car where he had left his weapons the night before, and leaving Colonel Beaver gaping.

The vehicle was still in the place where it had been left, and now was encircled by yellow tape, courtesy of the military police. His hands shook as he pulled the door open, and he breathed a short sigh of relief as he fumbled under the seat for his precious weapons. Pulling out the cloth-wrapped bundle, he clutched it to him as he turned to race back to where Olsson was at that very moment confronting Jensen, alone. He hoped to God that he’d be in time.

Beaver had made it to the door, and Jared almost barreled into him as he flung himself back into the building. “Where are they?” he panted.

“In the de-briefing room,” responded the Colonel. “I’ve put in a call to get Collins and Lindberg back here, but they are around 20 minutes out right now.” Jared didn’t stay to hear anymore but took off like a bat out of hell for the room they had all been taken to the previous night.

Bursting into the room, Jared was horrified to see the General holding Jensen tightly to his chest. His fangs were buried in Jensen’s neck, and there was blood — so much blood!

The blood covered Jensen’s white t-shirt, dripped from him in amounts that made Jared feel faint at the sight, and when Olsson looked up, he could see more of it smeared on his cheeks and chin and trickling from the corner of his mouth. Jensen looked paper white.

Olsson hissed at Jared and tossed Jensen aside to lie crumpled on the floor. He laughed and reached a finger to capture a trickle of blood and lick delicately, pink tongue lapping at the red that was Jensen’s life blood. He laughed.

“Think he’s still _your_ Jensen, do you, boy?”

”You filthy, fucking monster!” Jared still stood, aghast, unable to quite comprehend what had happened, and Olsson seemed to assume that he’d won at last, because he stalked towards Jared, hypnotic eyes glowing.

“You think you won, but this was merely a setback. You and that piece of shit on the floor will become my new children and between us we will take the government, then the country, and then the world.” He grinned, teeth red in his blood smeared face. “Now stay still for me, boy. You are going to be my second in this new age.”

A rage as red as the blood adorning Olsson’s face suffused Jared. He could feel the pull from the vampire to do as he was bidden, but underlying that was grief for his lover, and anger at the sheer temerity of this creature to think that he had any right to dictate his life — or his death.

He fumbled surreptitiously inside the cloth that cocooned his swords, and as Olsson reached to grip his chin and push his head back, Jared struck.

The blood that erupted from Olsson’s neck spattered him, spattered Beaver, who was standing in the doorway, and pooled on the floor to mingle with Jensen’s.

“J-Jim…” Jared swayed. “C… cuff Jensen. Make sure he c… can’t…” with that, the shock took over, and he passed out.

  
.  
  
.  


Jared came to, lying on a bed, and Dr. Collins was leaning over him, taking his vital signs. He sat up with a jerk. “Jensen,” he cried, and Collins pushed him back to lie back down again.

“Don’t worry,” murmured the doc. “Chad and I did some research and found a cure, so long as the victim hadn’t yet fed on human blood.” He grinned. “Jensen’s had that administered already, and we’ll find out if it worked pretty damned soon.”

The sudden sensation of relief caused Jared to feel lightheaded. “He isn’t dead?”

“When I left him, he was throwing up everything he’s ever eaten in his life. I suspect that makes him as alive as he can possibly be.” Misha chuckled. “Get yourself together, and you can hold the basin for him.”

  


  
Epilogue: Silver Spring

  
The aftermath of the death of General Tyler Olsson dragged on for an inordinate length of time. Jared had been arrested pending an inquiry, and while there was a huge amount of evidence in his favor, he wasn’t by any means hailed as a hero straight away.   
  
It was several weeks before he was released and allowed to make his way home to the barren apartment he’d last seen with Jensen on the night he’d first begun to feel more than merely lust for the man. Since Jensen hadn’t visited him at all while he’d been detained, Jared had to assume he hadn’t felt the same connection.   
  
It was with heavy heart that he made his way up the stars and into the apartment. He wasn’t prepared for the way his apartment had changed while he’d been gone. For a start, there was now a table and two chairs, and the table was set with a rose in a jam jar, and knives, forks and glasses laid out as if for a meal. He stood, frowning, looking at the unfamiliar sight for a few moments, and then became aware of the scent of something delicious emanating from the kitchen.   
  
Unsure if he had somehow strayed into the wrong apartment, he hurried into the kitchen, to be met by Jensen, clad in t-shirt and jeans, topped by an apron that proclaimed, ‘I Cook for Sex.’   
  
As Jared stood in the doorway, trying to decide if he was hallucinating or if this was really happening,   
  
“Jensen?”   
  
Jensen turned and beamed at him. “Hey, Jay. Welcome home!”   
  
At that, Jared was across the kitchen floor and pulling Jensen into a kiss that curled his own toes.   
  
“God, Jen! I missed you.”   
  
“They wouldn’t let me see you until after the inquiry was done. They said they didn’t want us agreeing on a story. I thought that the damned thing would never end, but they had to admit that you’re a hero in the end.” He smirked. “I wanted to bite them all.”   
  
Jared stiffened, and Jensen chuckled. “Relax. Look! No second row of teeth. Your buddy, Lindberg came through with a cure. Too bad it was too late for him. He’s stuck as the only vegetarian vampire out there. He seems to be doing okay with it, though. The doc is working with him to brew some godawful thing he drinks instead of blood.’   
  
As Jared opened his mouth to ask more questions, Jensen reached up to cup his face between his hands and kiss him again, more thoroughly than before, and Jared melted.   
  
“Okay, Jay, we’ve got a half hour before dinner will be ready, so let me show you the other modification I’ve done to your palatial residence here.”   
  
Taking Jared’s hand, Jensen led him through the living room and into the bedroom. Gone was the mattress that had been there and in its place was a bed, a large bed, made up with sheets and a comforter.   
  
“See, if you and I are together, and, trust me, we are together, I refuse to sleep on the floor anymore. Creature comfort is all.” Jensen gave Jared the kind of lascivious look that could not be mistaken for anything other than what it was. “So despite your attempt at minimalism, we need a bed that has just a little bounce.”   
  
“Together, hmmm?” Jared gave a whoop, and then gathered Jensen up in his arms and took him over to dump him on the bed under discussion to test its bounce. “If you’re gonna be my little woman, and cook and clean for me, you’re wearing too damned many clothes.” With that, he joined Jensen on his new bed, rolled to cover him and pressed his mouth to Jensen’s.   
  
Jared slid his hands up under the t-shirt Jensen was wearing, fingers relishing the touch of soft, smooth skin and petting the flesh he’d uncovered. The shirt was soon off and tossed to the floor, as Jensen tugged and pulled at Jared’s shirt to expose his torso in turn, sending the garment to lie discarded alongside Jensen’s.   
  
Kisses. Long, luscious kisses were exchanged, tongues finding each other as they mapped out the sensitive and the soft, sliding against teeth and palate. It wasn’t long before Jensen turned his attention to Jared’s pants, deftly unfastening them and pushing them down, only to grip Jared’s buttocks and pull him in hard. Jared could feel Jensen’s solid erection, rolled his hips and let his own cock press against it, smiling when he heard Jensen moan.   
  
“Something you want from me?” he whispered. Jensen’s response to that was to roll them over so that he was on top and growl as he bent to bite at Jared’s nipple.   
  
“Oh, yeah.” Jensen smirked. “I want everything you’ve got.” He rolled his hips again, pressing down on Jared’s hard length and Jared’s breathing shortened as a spike of pleasure shot through him.   
  
“Better hurry then. Don’t want dinner to burn, and I’m on a pretty short… mmmpf…” Jared was silenced. Jensen had bent his head to Jared’s lips for a long, slow exploration of his mouth.   
  
Jared could feel the flutter of the other man's breath as their tongues twined in the slick, warmth of his mouth. His hand stroked the back of Jensen's neck and threaded through short, silky hair to the back of his head, cradling it, holding it steady while he explored moist lips.   
  
When the kissing finally came to an end, Jared placed his hands at Jensen's hips, stroking with his thumbs to slide under the well washed denim that Jensen still wore, until he found flesh like hot satin beneath his eager hand. Jensen, eyelids drooping, flashed him a small grin before rearing up and distracting him by revealing a torso that gleamed like marble in the lamplight, the small buds of his nipples a dusky rose and the hollow of his belly dimpling into his neat navel.   
  
Jared ran his hands the length of Jensen's rib cage, bending up to take a nipple between his teeth, flicking his tongue against it and listened for the answering gasp from his lover.   
  
Jensen reached down then, so that his fingers could seize, and then knead at Jared's buttocks. He stroked, working the muscle with hands that caressed, and pried, and sent tickling thrills rippling the length of Jared's thighs. Pushing Jensen away momentarily, Jared fought to get rid of his pants and underwear as fast as he could, while Jensen shucked his own pants, One foot still on the bed as he performed a set of complicated, sinuous gymnastics in his urgent need to be naked.   
  
"Come here," Jared, naked now, came around the bed to grab Jensen’s hips and pressed himself back against Jensen's skin. He was shaking with the desperate need to revisit the feel of him complete and eager beneath his searching lips and trembling, urgent hands. They had been through so much since the last time they had done this, and somehow it seemed to Jared that any moment now they would be interrupted by some new threat.   
  
He pressed Jensen back down so he could run his hands over slick, smooth skin, burying his mouth into the angle of Jensen's neck. Jared tasted him, and heard a groan that seemed to be ripped from deep inside his lover. He backed the pair of them up against the bed, and they fell, mouth still avidly sucking on Jensen's tender skin as they went down. With Jensen beneath him, pressing against his length, he could feel Jensen thrusting against him in wicked counterpoint to his own urgent motion.   
  
Jensen's eyes glowed green-gold, cut glass through which burned desire and overwhelming need. Jared dry-swallowed. His own longing suffused him as he felt himself drown in those eyes. Slowly, he raised Jensen's hand up to his lips, running the tip of his tongue over the back of the knuckles before sucking the tips of Jensen's fingers into his mouth.   
  
Jensen's skin was silken smooth, cool that flashed to heat against the press of his body. Jared took the fingers from his mouth and dragged his chin over the palm of Jensen's hand, hearing the rasp as his whiskers scratched. The hand against Jared's face smoothed around his cheek, paused briefly to caress an ear, and then curled around behind his head to ruffle the thick hair at the nape of his neck.   
  
Jared licked his lips and smiled, and the hand pressed him forward, drawing him down until their lips met again and clung. Mouth pressed to mouth now, each molding itself into a conduit through which heat passed as Jared melted into Jensen. Tongue slid against tongue, slow and languorous becoming fierce and full of desire as each of them drank the other, gasping in breaths that filled lungs but didn't satisfy.   
  
His arms were around Jensen now. His hands roamed Jensen's skin as their mouths stayed locked together, and he knew that this time he would not — could not stop, not for anything. No vampires, no ghosts, no threatening monster would come between him and his desire. Jensen was his, and they would be lovers. There was no choice.   
  
Jensen’s cock slid against his own as they held each other, painting a sticky mark of ownership on his belly. One of Jensen's hands burrowed into his hair as he found the curve of Jensen’s backside and sketched it, then grasped it and molded the swelling of his buttocks as he pulled him in to lie close along the straining body. The knowledge of Jensen’s arousal turned cartwheels in Jared’s belly, drawing his balls up to lie close against him as his hips flexed, driving their cocks together in a sun-sparkle of sensation.   
  
Jensen was moaning a little now, nipping and nibbling on his tongue. Jared felt Jensen's chest heave as his fingers shaped around a nipple, plucking it and rolling it between finger and thumb. The groan that followed might have been from either of them, but it found a resonance inside him, a fluttering that snaked through him as Jensen's hand fumbled down to find and clasp their two dicks, working them together.   
  
The world pulled in then, stretching around them like a glittering, protective bubble that insulated them from everything save each other. Jared pulled away for a moment, studying Jensen as he lay flushed and panting, lips pink and swollen from the kissing, tongue tip glistening between as he moistened them. God, he was gorgeous.   
  
Lowering his head, Jared licked at the side of Jensen's face, scraping against his beard-stained cheek. He moved down by degrees, wanting to taste all of Jensen, committing him to memory, uncertain whether Jensen would fade from his life all over again as some weird new threat rose to claim him.   
  
His tongue bathed Jensen's neck, his shoulders, his chest, and he began to lick and suck on the small brown-pink coins of his nipples, eliciting a series of small, husky sounds from the man in his arms.   
  
Jensen gave a long sobbing sigh as Jared slipped downwards, finding new and tender crevices to explore along the way, until at last he was level with Jensen's groin, nuzzling into the damp curls that clustered around Jensen's dick. The scent of him was musky and exciting. His taste was sharp and salty, and as his cock slipped between Jared's lips to slide along his tongue, Jared shivered. The sight of Jensen's face as he watched from higher up on the bed made him gasp and press his hips down into the bedclothes in animal need. Pressing his fingers inside Jensen’s heat to stretch him and lube him almost had him coming too soon, and he reached down to squeeze his dick, pausing until he could breathe again, while Jensen babbled out his need in pleas and then curses.   
  
Quickly he returned to his task, allowing Jensen to slip in and out of his mouth, building tension in both of them as he did so. Soon, he could feel the rippling twitches along the inside of Jensen's cock and knew the man was seconds away from coming. He released Jensen and climbed to his knees, stroking his own solid hardness as he spread moisture out from the eye of it.   
  
Jensen's eyes widened, and then closed. He flung his head backwards, exposing his throat and spreading his knees wide apart, drawing them up to offer himself to Jared.   
  
"Fuck, yes! Do it to me, Jay, come on." His voice was harsh, whisky rough.   
  
And Jared centered himself, pressing home until he could feel Jensen encasing him, the walls of his ass clasping him tightly while he buried himself as deep inside as he would go.   
  
As they lay joined, waiting to regain a little control, it seemed only natural that their mouths should find each other once again, connecting, caressing. Spikes of sexual arousal flickered by, crowning the complexity of thoughts and emotions in his mind Jared sank himself into Jensen's body, wrapping himself in Jensen's emotions.   
  
He felt Jensen surrounding him, sucking him in, and drawing delicious threads of tickling pleasure up from his balls as they began to move together.   
  
He was fucking. He was being fucked. He was himself and also his lover as fire and ice lit his cock and sent him plunging, tumbling and shuddering into a meltdown explosion that spat, consuming both of them and sending spasm after spasm through them until at last they slumped, drained and tingling. Limp at last, their bodies were sated, but their minds were full of wonder as they twined around each other in bliss.   
  
“There were times when I thought I’d lost you almost before I found you.” Jared traced the line of Jensen’s nose with a soft forefinger, his passion slaked for the moment.   
  
“I’m glad you hung in.” Jensen snapped at the finger, playfully, catching it between his teeth and sucking it into his mouth. “There were a couple of times I thought the same.”   
  
“I really hope that you’re not going to make a habit of getting turned by vampires and captured by ghosts in future.” Jared struggled up onto one elbow. “It’s all too much for my heart.”   
  
“I’ll try my best to stay out of trouble.” Jensen chuckled.   
  
“Good. Don’t wanna have to keep rescuing my husband from peril. People will talk.”   
  
“Your husband?” Jensen sat up straight.   
  
“Yeah.” Jared could feel his cheeks staining red. “If you’ll have me?”   
  
“Oh, I will,” murmured Jensen with a grin. 

  
~~oo(The End)oo~~  


  


**Author's Note:**

> We have lots of thank yous to make: 
> 
> Firstly, thank you to [](http://dun.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://dun.livejournal.com/)**dun** , who embraced the mood of the story and produced beautifully creepy artwork. We love every piece she did, and hope to see more of her art popping up in LJ. Her way of interpreting the stories she's illustrated is dead on every time. 
> 
> Secondly, thank you to [](http://jennylynneh.livejournal.com/profile)[**jennylynneh**](http://jennylynneh.livejournal.com/) , who did the perfect alpha read and even read it to her mom! Mom liked the story, although was a little undecided about the sex. 1,000 thanks also to [](http://aire-blair.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://aire-blair.livejournal.com/)**aire-blair** , our fabulous beta. She asked many questions, fixed many errors, and did it all without having MS Word on her Surface! 
> 
> Lastly, there is the indefatigable [](http://wendy.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://wendy.livejournal.com/)**wendy** , who, year after year, offers this amazing forum for us to produce illustrated longfic that keeps us reading for the rest of the summer. Her skill at organization makes everything possible, and she makes it seem effortless. 
> 
> The story evolved out of watching "No Exit" and turning it on its head. We feel a little guilty making so many black dudes bad guys. We promise never to do that again.


End file.
